


You're The One That I Want

by BossPotato01, Riveroot_Nightshade



Series: Even If You Find Us, We're Apathetic [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Adults friggin suck, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Assisted Suicide, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bad Parenting, Children, Eventual Smut, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Food, Gaslighting, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt/Comfort, Illegitimacy, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jealousy, Knives, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Original Character(s), Panic Attacks, Pasta, Poisoning, Rape/Non-con Elements, Roman is narcissistic, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Slightly Unsympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Suicide Attempt, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Therapy, Unhealthy Relationships, Unsympathetic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, attempts to murder, good parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:14:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 47
Words: 76,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22597654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BossPotato01/pseuds/BossPotato01, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riveroot_Nightshade/pseuds/Riveroot_Nightshade
Summary: The jealousy between siblings and the discord between lovers tears apart the mindscape.Or, less poetically-The creative twins fight over literally everything; all the other sides suffer because of it.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/ Wrath Sanders, Creativity | Roman Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Honesty Sanders/ Pride Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: Even If You Find Us, We're Apathetic [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766137
Comments: 214
Kudos: 337





	1. Remus' Plan

Roman bit his lip. Remus had shown up behind him. He could sense it. Why did his brother have to show up? It wasn't fair that he always came and ruined things like this. Sure, Roman knew that most of the time, Remus didn't want to hurt or scare Thomas genuinely, but by god, was it annoying!

Thomas opened his mouth to say something but didn't. Patton gave a quiet gasp, and Logan cocked an eyebrow. Virgil stifled a laugh. They were all staring at Remus. The light creativity turned to face his brother.

Remus was standing there, not wearing his usual attire. Instead, he wore an untucked lime-green shirt, black slacks that appeared to have some dirt on the ankle, and dress shoes that looked stiff. Even his hair was combed nicely. His mouth opened in surprise, and then he bit his lip. "Oh! I didn't know you were making a video. Sorry, Thomas. I was just looking for somebody who knows how to tie a tie?" He was so calm and polite that for a moment nobody could speak.

Finally, Logan cleared his throat, waving Remus over. Without asking any questions, Logan took off his own tie, slowly going through the motions so Remus could copy him. It was Virgil who spoke first. "So, Duke. What's with the pleasantries?"

The Duke smiled with nervous glee, not looking up from Logan's demonstration as he attempted again, having screwed up the first time. "Whatcha mean?"

Roman scoffed. "Oh, come on, bro! You're acting weird, and you know it. Where's the vulgar commentary? The lace, your mace-" He couldn't help but giggle at the rhyme. "And you look-"

"Clean," Finished Patton. Remus finished his tie and turned to the others.

"Oh, no reason. Thanks, nerdy Wolverine!" Remus grinned. He jumped, clicking his heels together with what Virgil recognized as extremely nervous energy, and started to sink out.

"Hey, wait!" Thomas called, and Remus popped back up. Roman didn't know why he was so curious. But clearly, the others were too. "Remus, you look excited. What's going on?"

Remus bit his lip, trying to hold back a smile. It was so rare that they showed an interest, and he really was so excited... "Okay, okay! I'll tell you. I have a date tonight that's really important..." He winked.

Clearly, they got the wrong impression. Logan looked dubious, Patton frowned, Roman and Virgil simultaneously rolled their eyes, and Thomas sighed. "Remus-" He sighed as if he was about to chastise.

Remus tilted his head, confused. Then his eyes lit up, and he laughed. "No, no, no! That's not what I meant, sillies! I was talking about this!" He waved his hand and summoned a small box, holding it up for them to see like a kid at show and tell.

Patton recognized it first. He squealed, clapping his hands together. "IS THAT A RING!?" Remus smiled and nodded, bouncing with excitement. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Patton giggled, unable to contain himself.

Roman watched the other's expression change. Logan's expression softened into a slight smile. Virgil bit his lip, trying to suppress a grin quite unsuccessfully. Even Thomas was smiling, though he looked baffled. "Congratulations, Remus! But, who are you proposing too?" There was an echo of congrats from the other sides after Thomas spoke.

Remus clutched the box in his hands, taking a nervous breath and laughing softly. "Deceit! I'm gonna marry Deceit!"

Thomas was still wearing a smile but also even more confused. "Oh? Deceit? I didn't realize you two were-"

"Neither did I," Roman choked out, still in shock. Virgil and Patton cast him looks but said nothing.

"Yeah," Remus said with a soft sigh. "I mean, we've been together for a few years, and I love him, so... yeah." The side shrugged. 

"This is so precious!" Patton cried, wiping away the moisture in his eyes. "Would it be okay if we, you know, got to see you propose? It'd be so cute!" Everyone looked eagerly at Remus, who looked a tad overwhelmed.

"I mean, uh, I guess... I'll call you guys a little before I do?" He suggested. Patton looked thrilled.

"Oh, this is so great! I can't even!" Morality cheered.

Logan frowned. "You can't even what, Patton? Finish your sentences."

Virgil laughed, not stopping to explain. "Well, you better get going then, dude. Wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

Remus nodded. "Right! I better go. I'll call you before I propose! Thanks, everybody!!!" Remus fist-bumped the air and sunk out. 

The others kept discussing it, but Roman was having trouble wrapping his head around it. How could Remus- the Duke- the Dark Creativity- find love before him? It wasn't fair! What did he have that Roman didn't? Don't get him wrong, he was happy for his brother- but boy was he jealous.

"Hey, you in there, Princey?" Virgil's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?" Roman said lazily.

"What are you thinking about?" Virgil said, leaning on the side of the stairs. Could he say that he was jealous? No. Not to Virgil. Virgil would laugh at him, wouldn't he?

"Just my brother," said Roman with a dramatic sigh. He turned to Virgil, a new thought crossing his mind. "Hey, how come you were congratulating him? I thought you loathed Deceit."

Virgil chuckled. "Well, you see, I find the idea of Deceit marrying Remus perfect. Than Deceit will have to listen to his nasty comments all the time, and he can't getaway. Also, I mean, planning the wedding will get him all stressed-" Virgil trailed off with a shrug. "I dunno. I guess I don't hate him as much as enjoy watching him suffer mild inconveniences because he's an ass and deserves it."

Virgil stepped away, turning to talk to Patton. Roman could tell he was just avoiding admitting he was happy for the other sides. They all looked so pleased for Remus. So why wasn't he?


	2. What Did I Do Wrong?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am really bad at writing fluff. Thanks to my co-creator for helping with that. This one is a whirlwind, just saying!

Deceit was sitting on a park bench, arms folded as he waited. Remus rose up, beaming, quickly hiding the ring box. Deceit smiled upon seeing him. "Ree-musss," he cooed with a slight laugh as his boyfriend picked him up and spun him around. It was one of the few benefits of being shorter.

Remus grinned, setting him down and kissing him lightly on the cheek, his hands on his boyfriend's waist. "Hey, gorgeous! How are you?"

"Oh, I'm terrible," Deceit chuckled sarcastically, winking at his boyfriend. He linked his arm in Remus'. Deceit looked him up and down, clearly admiring his outfit. "You look... incredible, love." said the side, sincerity shining in his eyes. "What's the occasion? Surely you didn't get all dressed up for little old me."

Remus flushed, sliding his free arm through his hair. "Oh, I uhm, well..."

Deceit smirked, standing up on his toes and silencing him with a kiss. "Oh, I'm just teasing. You're so adorable. So, what are we up to?"

Remus let out a careful sigh, glad to have dodged the bullet of Deceit's inquiry. "Oh, I was thinking we get something to eat, and then, uhm, there's a snake exhibit in that mindscape zoo Roman crafted for Logan's research I thought we could visit."

Deceit's eyes lit up at the idea."-I know you do, Dee." Remus couldn't help but be pleased with himself. It wasn't very often that he saw Deceit wear an expression other than some sarcastic facade.

They went on their way, exchanging sweet conversation and gentle touches, Remus working his hardest- (probably more than he had ever tried in his life) to behave. Deceit certainly had always seemed to be generally unphased by Remus' morbid commentary, but he could tell there was a slightly different mood when he resisted blurting out whatever came to mind. As Remus expanded his efforts onto behaving himself, he was able to think more, letting his mind buzz with excitement.

He was going to marry Deceit. His best friend; his lover; his partner. And he had never felt better. All Deceit had to do now was agree.

He looked up at his boyfriend, who was quietly poking at a piece of pie. It was then Remus became aware that there was something off about his boyfriend. He looked a little under the weather; a little sad. "Hey, are you alright?"

Deceit straightened up quickly like he had been shocked. "Hmm? Oh yes, yes, I'm just tired, that's all." He smiled as if everything was fine. But His eyes read otherwise.

Remus leaned forward, taking Deceit's hand in his. The liar seemed surprised. "Dee," Remus said, tilting his head. "Come on. I can tell you're not quite your normal, screwable, adorable self. You don't have to tell me, but you know I love making you feel good. Why don't you tell me what's bugging ya?"

Deceit sighed, not able to make eye contact. Finally, after glancing up and seeing his boyfriend's puppy eyes, he sighed. "Oh, I don't know. Nothing new. I guess I'm just feeling a little... uhm... icky, today, you know?" Remus bit his lip. There was more that Deceit seemed to want to say. Why wasn't he saying it? Did he have something to hide? No. That's ridiculous. Deceit would never lie to his boyfriend, would he?

The dark creativity gave his boyfriend's hand a little reassuring squeeze. "Ohh, okay. Everybody has off days, but I'm sorry this is one for you. Is there anything I can do to make it better?" Remus tried to be helpful; he hoped he was saying just the right things. It seemed to work, as Deceit suddenly got an intentionally sexy, lidded look in his eyes.

"Oh, you're already doing it for me, Rem," Deceit murmured, leaning forward across the table and kissing Remus. The Dark creativity blushed deeply. Gods, he was sexy. "Why don't we get going to our next stop, huh?"

After eating, Remus called Virgil (the only of the other's numbers he had) and then he and Deceit went to the zoo as planned.

__________________________________________________________________

Deceit pressed against the glass, whimpering in adoration at the snakes on the other side. "Ohh, look at this one!" Remus exclaimed, pointing to a tiny reddish snake that had blepped at him. Deceit knelt down in awe, his heart melted by the little creature. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Patton, who waved exuberantly before multiple sets of hands reached out and grabbed him, pulling him behind a sign to be hidden. Remus smirked, taking a deep breath. It was just about time.

"He's so cute, Remus! Look at him!" Deceit whined, pointing at the snake.

Remus slid his hands around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him back against the creative sides' chest. "Oh, but you know who's cuter?"

Deceit freed one of his arms, reached up, and booped Remus on the nose. "Yeah, I'm dating him."

Remus felt odd. This affection was almost- out of character for his boyfriend. Deceit had been acting strange the last couple of times they'd gone out. 'maybe I'm just nervous. Not thinking straight. Or doing anything straight, I guess.'

The couple eventually decided to leave the area, heading over to what appeared to be a petting zoo. As Remus was having a bleating contest with one of the baby goats (much to a few parents' dismay), he saw Deceit out of the corner of his eye.

"Well aren't you the cutest little thing?" Deceit was saying, holding a baby snake wrapped around one of his forearms. The snake blepped out its little pink tongue as Deceit booped its nose. "I'm going to call you Franklin!" He said matter-of-factly, nodding as if he had just made the most important decision of his life (well hasn't he?). Remus smiled, [=abandoning his contest as he had won, and sashayed over to his snazzy boyfriend.

"Darling, isn't he wonderful? Look at his perfect little face! And his handsome yellow-green scales! He could be our son!" Deceit said, showing Remus the small creature like a child to their parent.

Remus smiled in amusement. "Yeah! We'd be the best snake dads ever!" He stroked the snake's head, purring.

"Can we keep him?" Dee begged. Remus looked into his eyes, serious.

"Is deodorant the best form of nutrition?"

"Yes?"

"Exactly."

"Run?"

"Run." And they took off, Remus pulling Deceit along behind him (The taller side was much faster) practically dying of laughter.

Finally, they stopped. Deceit slipped Franklin safely into a pocket on his shirt, laughing so hard he could barely focus on the task.

While Deceit struggled to do this, Remus caught sight of Virgil, who had run after them. The anxious side flipped him off and hid again out of sight. Clearly, running wasn't his thing.

Deceit slid his hands in Remus's. "That. Wass. Incredible!" The side said, hissing his s's. Remus smiled brightly. He loved it when his husband- oh wait, still boyfriend- did that. The mistake reminded him of his primary motive.

"Hey, uhh, Deceit?" Remus stuttered, unsure of what to say. It's not like he had practiced this, over and over and over in the mirror the past few weeks, trying to get it just right. Why was it so hard now?

"Yes, dear?" The liar said, looking thoughtful. It seemed as if Thomas and the sides had taken the hint, and emerged from their hiding spots. Deceit looked like he was about to ask what the Hell they were doing, but Remus hushed him.

"Oh, just ignore them. I kind of need your full attention right now." Remus said, his eyes sincere but frantically hoping things would go right.

Deceit looked confused, and a worry line crossed his brow. "Okay? What do you need to say to me?"

Remus summoned the ring box, slowly dropping to his knee. "So, like, god how do I say this? Okay, just got to rip it off like a piece of skin. Basically, I love you. So much. You already know that, of course, but I wanted to say it again. My point is, I really really love you. And I want to keep loving you forever. And I want the whole world to know, because you are amazing, and I want everyone to know it. And I thought that I would like to be able to do that by telling the world just how great my husband is. But to be able to do that, I'd have to ask you what I'm about to first. So, Dee, my love, my Deodorant Stick To Rule All Deodorant Sticks, will you marry me?"

Remus glanced quickly at the others. Patton was crying, clutching Logan and clearly resisting the urge to squeal with joy. Roman gave him a thumbs up, Thomas grinned at him, and Virgil nodded approvingly. Remus looked back to Deceit.

Deceit's expression was unreadable, at first. It was full of emotion, but the type of emotion was fluctuating quickly. Deceit opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. But Remus saw tears brimming at the edges of his boyfriend's eyes.

Remus quickly stood up, wiping them away. "Hey, it's okay! I mean, take your time to answer, it's not like this is a big deal or anything..." Remus laughed awkwardly, hoping to lighten the mood. It didn't seem to help.

Suddenly, Deceit yanked away from Remus's grasp, like he had been burned. "Oh gods, Remus, I- I..."

Remus stepped forward, trying to reach out for his boyfriend. "Oh no, was my speech too much? I'm sorry, I'm just so passionate, you know I just want you to see how I feel, and-"

"Oh Remus..." Deceit interrupted, he was crying now, trying so hard to hold back his tears. He kept wiping them away as if he was afraid to cry. "Your speech was so, so nice. But... I..."

"You what?" Remus asked, his heart speeding up. This couldn't be happening. Please, god, don't let this be happening. Was what he thought was happening really happening? No. It couldn't be...

"I..." Deceit couldn't seem to hold back. He was hugging his chest, breathing hard. Remus glanced over at the sides. They all looked confused. But Virgil... Virgil seemed like he knew. Like he could see what was happening. Oh god, what I would give to know what Virgil knows!

"You what, Deceit?!" Remus demanded, and a little harsher than he intended.

"I CAN'T MARRY YOU, REMUS!" Deceit shouted back, his voice cracking. The world went quiet. Way too quiet. The only sound Remus could hear was Deceit's panicked breathing. "I can't marry you."

I can't marry you. Remus' head was spinning. What was happening? "Why... why not?" Remus said softly, his voice cracked as well. He could feel tears welling up inside him too.

Deceit grimaced, his eyes shut tightly. "I can't- you can't-" The side was stumbling over his words. "Gods, please don't make this any harder than this is, Rem."

"Why can't you marry me? Did I do something wrong? If I did something wrong, I'm sorry! I promise I'll be better, I promise!" Remus begged, reaching out again, hoping to hold Deceit, to do... something. It was torture to watch the man he loved cry in front of him, just out of reach.

"Oh, honey..." Deceit cooed, rubbing away his tears. "It's not you! You've done nothing wrong... It's me. I'm so, so sorry Remus. I hope you can forgive me someday."

Deceit turned, trying to run away. Remus grabbed his wrist. "Wait, please! Just... just tell me! We can work through this together, whatever it is! Just- just don't leave me!" The creative side sobbed, but Deceit pulled away.

"I'm sorry," Deceit choked out one last time, and ran away as fast as he could, not looking back.

Remus stood in shock. The silence was deafening. He fell to his knees, his legs too numb to support him. He heard footsteps running up to him, but the voices that spoke were gibberish. Nothing made sense. How could anything make sense? The world had been flipped upside down.

The world wouldn't stop spinning, everything was wrong. Darkness crept around his eyes, and he succumbed to it, his pain too mind-numbing to cope with. Please, please let this be a dream. I need this to be a dream. It has to be a dream. But as unconsciousness met him, he knew it wasn't.


	3. Pretty In Orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit is a jerk.

Roman watched over his brother carefully. Remus had fainted, and the other sides had no idea what to do beyond just bringing him home. Roman had set him on the couch, and now he and the others hung around, waiting for him to awake. The prince couldn’t believe how well it had all worked out.

Roman sat with his brother’s head in his lap, brushing the other creativity’s hair back. Patton hadn’t stopped crying since they had watched the horrible scene, and was now sitting on the stairs. “Oh poor Remus…” he repeated for the millionth time. “That was horrible.”

“Yes, it was unfortunate. I wonder what drove Deceit to reject Remus’ proposal…” Logan thought aloud. 

Remus stirred on the couch, his face contorting into a painful grimace. The side was murmuring gibberish. A nightmare, Roman assumed. Roman hushed his brother, trying to remove his unease. 

Suddenly, Remus jerked awake, sitting upright. “Deceit! Dee!” He sobbed, looking around wildly. When he became aware of his surroundings, of his brother’s voice trying to comfort him, he looked confused. And then they all watched his eyes grow crestfallen as the memories came flooding back. Remus curled up on the sofa, hugging his knees and pressing his face into them, trying to quiet his tears.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay Remus,” Roman tried to comfort. “Don’t worry! You’re too good for the old snake-face anyway.” Thomas and Virgil flinched. There was no way that was the right response.

Remus looked up, his eyes red. “No! It’s not okay, Princey!” He sobbed, his voice cracking. Roman looked taken aback. “I loved him! And for some reason, I was stupid enough to think he’d love me back!”

Patton went over and sat on the other side of Remus. “Oh Remus, you weren’t stupid! I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for why Deceit acted the way he did…” They all looked to Logan expectantly.

Logan cleared his throat awkwardly, straightening his tie. “Of course there is. Uhm… Perhaps it would be beneficial if I go find and speak with Deceit. It is likely there was some sort of misunderstanding.”

Remus shrugged, standing up. “Would… would you do that for me, Lo?” He dried his eyes on his sleeve.

“If it would put you at ease, I will gladly.”

Remus nodded slowly, unable to make eye contact. His voice is so soft and trembling. “Yeah, thank you.”

“I’ll come with you. I’m gonna beat the scales off of him,” Roman said a little too quickly, making a show of rolling up his sleeve.

“No!” Patton, Remus, and Thomas yelped.

“Yeah, go get him!” Virgil murmured. 

Logan shook his head. “Roman, I understand you’re upset and rather protective of your brother, but I believe that would not be beneficial to the situation for you to hit Deceit.”

Roman scoffed, rolling his eyes. Why did they have to be so difficult? “Fine, I won’t hit him. But I still need to have a word with him. Preferably alone.”

Logan raised an eyebrow at Roman. “No, Roman. It would be best if you stay with your brother, so to deescalate the situation.” Roman shook his head, clearly annoyed, but didn’t try again. “Same for you, Virgil,” he added as Virgil began to stand up. The anxious side smiled and sat back down, clearly glad to not have anything expected of him.

“Guess I’ll go with you then?” Patton asked, grinning. Logan nodded. The logical side then instructed Thomas to go to bed, as it was rather late in the evening, and they two sides left the living room, heading for the dark side part of Thomas’s mind.

Logan rapped his knuckles on Deceit’s yellow door. Patton looked around, clearly uncomfortable to be here. “Are you sure he’s even here? I mean, he must have known we’d come looking for an explanation.” Patton began, but Logan shook his head, knocking again.

“I don’t think that Deceit is in any way of sound enough mind to think things through, based on what we saw.”

The second time Logan knocked, the door swung open. The sight there struck Logan and Patton like a hammer. Deceit would have been unrecognizable, had it not been for his scales. His hair was streaked with Orange and falling in his face like the way Virgil wore his. His irises matched his hair, and he wore a black t-shirt with Orange suspenders, Orange ripped skinny jeans and black combat boots.

“Hey, guys!” He beamed as he leaned in the doorway, and Patton was uncomfortable by the huge smile that adorned his face. “Why don’t you come in?”

Logan walked in first, and just like Deceit, the room was drastically different. Everything was black and orange, and Logan shared a confused look with Patton. Deceit took a seat on the side of his bed, pointing the two of them to take the couch against the wall. “So! What brings you two here?” the liar asked.

Logan ignored his question, instead asking one of his own. “What’s with the color change?”

Deceit shrugged. “Dunno. It started happening this evening after I left the zoo. I got to say, it’s a fabulous change for a fabulous new point in my life! But you didn’t answer my question. Not that I don’t absolutely love having you here, but I must say, I don’t get very many visitors.”

Patton snorted, still bewildered. “Uhm, you broke Remus’ heart, and we want to know why?” He glanced at Logan, who nodded. 

The liar wrinkled his nose. “You really want to talk about him? Ugh. Fine, if you really want to know, I guess it can’t be avoided. In all honesty, I’m not in love with him,” Deceit said with a shrug.

Logan cleared his throat to speak, but Patton interrupted. “What do you mean, ‘not in love with him?’ we saw you with Remus at the zoo! You two stole that snake, you flirted a ton, you-”

“Pffft, Pat,” he Deceit laughed. “I’m the embodiment of lies! It was so easy for me to pretend, especially when he was so naive and willing to believe that I actually liked him!”

Patton’s mouth hung open. “That’s horrible!” he said, his voice cracking. He seemed so distraught.

Straightening his glasses, Logan put a hand on Patton’s arm, trying to calm him down. “Why would you do that to him, Deceit?” he said quickly, his voice not portraying any emotion. 

Deceit leaned forward. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t have a lot of options as far as romantic relationships in the first place. But then I met all of you, and realized something. I was dating the wrong brother!!!” He burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing to happen. 

“What?” Said Logan, his brow furrowed as he thought. “You’re infatuated with Roman?”

The liar nodded, still grinning. “I had been meaning to find a way to break the news to Remus, but then he pulled that pathetic stunt, and I just had to come clean! He thought I would marry him! That disgusting, horny, whiny little bitch thought I was really in love!”

The little snake that Remus and Deceit had stollen suddenly slithered over Patton’s foot. Patton cooed, picking it up, trying to distract himself from the feelings that were burning him up. Deceit sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes. It was then that Patton became aware that Deceit wasn’t wearing his gloves, something Patton had never seen him without. His nails were claw-like, and small patches of scales covered his hands. The Moral side tore his eyes away when Deceit spoke.

“Oh, when you leave, will you take him? I’d rather not keep the token of my past relationships.”

“But you said he was gonna be your son!” Patton said, cradling the little snake.

The liar scoffed, waving a finger. “No, I said he was gonna be ‘our son’- Remus and mine- as a joke. Clearly, you all took it far too literally. Ask Remus if he wants it, if not, I couldn’t care what you do with it.”

Patton looked crushed and confused. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Logan asked what they were both wondering. “Is Roman aware of your feelings?”

Deceit licked his lips, leaning back. “Oh, he does. We haven’t discussed them face to face, but I’d be lying if I said he didn’t.” This statement was followed by another roar of laughter.

Logan stood. “I think Patton and I should get going.”

Deceit frowned but shrugged. “If you must. It was nice seeing you. Say hi to Roman for me!” 

And they left, more than a little shocked.


	4. Snake Charmer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where we start getting icky, folks. Just a warning, it's a bit of a continuous downhill spiral for Remus and Deceit for the next several chapters.

“What…” Patton began, struggling to find words. He raced after Logan as they traveled down the hallway to the Light side.

Logan looked furious, an expression he so rarely wore. “Roman’s done something. I don’t know what, I don’t know how, but he has done something to Deceit, and I intend to find out what.”

Patton cradled the snake in his hands. “Let’s not jump to conclusions here, Logie! Why would Roman do anything to sabotage Remus’ relationship?”

“I don’t know. But Roman will. So we need to ask.” Logan rounded the corner to the living room.

Remus was sitting silently, staring out the window at the night sky, wrapped in a burrito of blankets. Virgil sat on the couch, looking at something on his phone, and Roman was watching The Little Mermaid. Virgil was the only one who looked over when they entered.

“Hey guys, what’s the news?” Virgil asked, setting down his phone. Roman glanced up, a smile that was a little too large on his face. Patton couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking behind those dark brown eyes. Remus slowly turned to look.

Patton crossed the room to Remus, presenting the small snake. Remus shrunk back in the blankets. “Deceit wants you to have him,” Patton said, and Remus shakily reached out and took the little creature.

“What did he say?” Roman asked.

Logan glared. “Actually, I need to have a word with you before we have this discussion, Roman.”

The light Creativity raised an eyebrow, but passed off his knowing look with an awkward laugh. “Whatever you say, Nerdy Wolverine,” Roman said, getting up.

Logan led him from the room, Patton trailing behind. Remus didn’t say anything, just cuddling the snake and staring out the window. Virgil gave him a look of ‘what the fuck is going on?’ But didn’t follow.

They stood outside the living room, Roman looking a little nervous. “So what’s going on then? What’d Deceit say?”

“He told us why he left Remus.” Patton said. Roman’s face flickered into a wicked smile. 

“Oh? Then you’re aware?” He said, inspecting his nails, leaning against the wall.

Patton stuttered in shock. “What the everloving FUCK did you do?”

Roman and Logan both looked at the moral side with bulged eyes. “Woah, Pat…” Roman said, clearly now aware of the gravity of the situation. Patton so rarely portrayed anger, let alone profanity.

“I thought we weren’t going to jump to conclusions, Patton,” Logan said, straightening his glasses.

“You broke your brother’s heart! This is a big deal to me, as Thomas’s heart!!!” The moral side shouted. Logan put a hand on Patton’s shoulder, which seemed to calm the other side down.

“Look, it’s not my fault that my brother can’t satisfy all the snake’s needs,” Roman snickered. “But I must admit, it feels good to be loved.”

Patton recoiled in discomfort. “But what did you do to him? He looked so happy with Remus… it just doesn't add up…”

Roman shrugged, sliding his fingers through his hair with a dramatic sigh. The creative side through his hands up. “I don’t know what to tell you, Pat! Love doesn't make sense. But what does make sense is that he chose the undeniably better brother.” the creative side then sunk out, unwilling to listen to their complaints anymore. Instead, he rose up in Deceit’s room.

The dark side looked up from his phone and beamed. “Roman! You’re here!” he hopped up and into Roman’s outstretched arms.

Roman kissed the liar’s lips lightly, but his mind burned. It stung to think that his brother’s lips had once pressed Deceit’s, that Remus had likely held him close just like this. He knew Remus had only ever loved Deceit with all his heart, and Deceit the same.

But it just wasn’t fair. That’s not how the stories went! The duke couldn’t be happy before the prince was! And how could he have any competition when it was Remus? Yet… the duke had charmed the snake. So Roman just had to sabotage it. ‘I am better than him, I deserve to be loved, I was only setting things right,’ he thought as he kissed the liar. 

Roman pulled away, searching Deceit’s eyes. How completely full of adoration they were! A little love potion mixed in Deceit’s dinner had truly worked wonders.

Roman was not in love with Deceit in the slightest. But having someone who was so ridiculously head over heels for you, especially your brother’s boyfriend… the power was completely intoxicating for Roman.

“You’re such a better kisser than Remus,” Deceit said, his eyes flicked with the lust. Roman grinned. This is exactly the sort of thing he had hoped to hear.

The creative side tilted his head. “Oh, you're so in love, aren’t you? You worship me!”

Deceit nodded, a soft smile on his face. “Oh you know I do, my prince. You know I want you… it’s not a secret I try to hide…”

Roman lit up at Deceit’s The Greatest Showman reference. He understood now, what his brother must have seen in the snake. He was a charmer. He could discern your hopes, your dreams, your desires… and spin it in a way that could topple dynasties. But now, Roman realised, he had charmed the snake.

“Why don’t I show you what you were missing when you were with my brother?” Roman growled softly, watching Deceit melt beneath his words.

“Oh yes… please” Deceit murmured.

Roman chuckled, pushing Deceit against the wall. The liar moaned as Roman unclipped and pulled away his suspenders. “I gotta say, I love the new outfit. It’ll look so good on the floor…”

He pulled off his sash and then began pulling away Deceit’s clothes, taking the time to palm him through his pants. This was going to be fun, to say the least… he suddenly became aware of Deceit pulling away from his kiss. Roman looked up.

Deceit was blushing, his human side a little flushed. “Uhm, Roman…”

“Yeah?” He said, his eyes filled with the gaze a predator gives their prey.

“I just wanted to let you know… so you won’t be disappointed in my performance… that…. Well…” the liar looked a little embarrassed. “...This is my first time.”

Roman stopped pulling at Deceit’s shirt. “Wait… you never had sex with my brother?”

Deceit shook his head. “No, we wanted to wait. Make it more special that way…” he pushed himself against Roman. “I am so glad it’s you though, Roman…”

Roman couldn’t help but feel a small pang of guilt. ‘You’re taking this away from your brother and Deceit. Deceit wouldn’t want this, if you hadn’t used the love potion- he would never...’ But his thoughts were quickly silenced by Deceit’s lips colliding with his.

That’s when the door swung open.


	5. Yellow Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, down hill lads.

Remus stood in the doorway, looking as if he had been shot. His eyes were filled with disbelief, and then pain. Virgil, Patton, and Logan all stood behind him, but it was clear what they had walked in on. Deceit's fingers, wound through Roman's hair, pushed against the wall and kissing him, both of them half-naked. Remus' voice was so delicate, like nothing more than a gust of wind would blow him over. He looked so confused, the expression that one might expect of a blind man who had had a rug ripped out from under him. "Dee?"

Deceit raised his eyebrows. He did not look embarrassed but rather annoyed at the interruption. Roman blushed deeply, stumbling back from Deceit. He was waiting for Remus to say something. Anything. But Remus just looked back and forward between them several times. He wrapped his arms around himself, struggling for air. Virgil looked mortified; he could sense the panic bubbling off of Remus. 

Remus opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His lower lip was shaking; he looked as if he was going to cry. "Oh... no..." he groaned, pulling on his sleeves. "Dee... how could you..."

"How could I?!" Deceit cackled, his voice too loud in the silent room. "Oh Remus, why wouldn't I? I never loved you! You were a fun game, but Roman was always where my heart lied."

Remus shook his head, his eyes pinched closed. "No... it couldn't have all been a lie! I love you, Dee! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Deceit shrugged, rolling his eyes and wandering over to Remus. Deceit was wearing nothing but his pants, but Remus wouldn't even look at him. Deceit seemed annoyed by this. "Remus. Remus, look at me."

Remus shook his head, wiping his eyes and turning his back on Deceit. "Why can't you look at me, Remus? I thought you were in love with me."

Remus gripped at his hair like he was about to combust. "I am..." he said, his voice shaking. "Deceit, what did- what did I do? What did I do wrong?" he pleaded. 

Deceit walked around in front of Remus, reaching out and tilting the creative side's chin up so he would look at him. "Oh sweetie," he said, his voice sweeter than honey and brimming with false sympathy. "You just weren't enough for me. But I never should have expected you to be..." Deceit crossed the room to Roman, throwing an arm around the presently mute side. "Luckily, your twin is..."

Patton and Logan had to grab Virgil's arms and pull him back from stomping over and doing something to the liar. Remus shattered. He turned, pushing past the other sides and ran from the room. Patton and Logan raced after Remus, but Virgil hung in the doorway. "Do you want something, Virgil?" asked Roman finally. Deceit was pulling him over to the bed slowly.

"I hope you both burn in Hell for what you've done to Remus," he said, turning and stomping away. He slammed the door behind him, but before the door was even closed he could hear Deceit moaning.

Virgil shuddered with anger and disgust, running after the others.

He found Remus and the others in the living room, crowded around the duke. The side was sitting on the floor and had his head pushed between his knees. He was sobbing, loud and ugly, and Patton and Logan struggled to comfort him. Patton looked relieved when he looked up and saw Virgil.

He got up, pulling Virgil to the other side of the room, leaving Logan kneeling beside the creative side. "I don't know what to do, Virgy! His heart is so broken. I've never delt with something like this before. Thomas never hurt this bad..."

"Yeah, well Thomas never found out that the love of his life was screwing his brother behind his back."

Patton rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. Virgil noticed that his eyes were wet as if he was near crying. This must-have hurt the moral side badly as well. "I can't believe that Roman and Deceit would- would-" Patton stuttered, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt.

"I know. I don't get it either," Virgil admitted. "I mean, you saw Remus and Dee together. They looked so happy together-"

Suddenly, loud coughing echoed through the room. Patton and Virgil spun to see Remus hacking into his hands, Logan slapping his back to get whatever Remus was choking on out. After a long moment, Remus removed his hands.

Logan gasped. Virgil moved closer and saw that Remus's hands were filled with yellow rose petals, splattered with blood. "Oh god..." Remus mumbled, staring into his hands.

"This is worse than we thought," Patton said to Logan, who nodded.

"I'm sorry, do you both know something I don't? What's going on here?" Virgil demanded, walking carefully over to Remus and handing him a plastic bag the anxious side had summoned, into which the side dumped the bloody petals. Remus wiped his hands on his pants and looked to Logan and Patton for an explanation.

"Erm, well..." Logan said softly, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Coughing up flower petals is a clear symptom of Hanahaki disease. That is unless you've eaten Austrian Briar Rose seeds lately- and I find it highly unlikely they'd survive as it is- you appear to have it."

"I've been sick before, this is nothing..." Remus said as he was struck by another round of coughing. 

This time, Patto tried. "Kiddo, Hanahaki is a super rare disease you get from a broken heart. When you love somebody very much, but they don't reciprocate the feelings, you cough up these flowers... and eventually, they fill up your lungs until you can't breathe..."

Logan tilted his head. "It's incredible that it has onset so fast just this night. Surgical removal might have been possible, but..." he trailed off, coming over to Remus. He had Remus open his mouth, and the logical side shone a light down his throat. He summoned a stethoscope and listened to Remus's breathing. When he was done, he took a step back. "I'm sorry, but you're just too far along for there to be a high likelihood of you surviving this, Remus..."

While Virgil elicited a gasp, Remus was strangely quiet. The sides came and sat around and near him, trying to comfort him. But the side was beyond hearing. "So there's nothing you can do for him?"

Logan sighed, adjusting his glasses. "The only sure cure we might have was if Deceit reciprocated your feelings. But as he is enthralled with Roman..."

"I am going to die," Remus finished. He said it so matter of factly, like he a robot. "I'm never going to get to see Thomas again, or you guys, or... him..." Remus paused, taking a long, raspy breath.

Remus pushed himself to his feet, bracing himself on Virgil as he found his footing. He began staggering off, out of the living room. "Wait, where are you going?" Patton asked, taking a few steps to follow. Remus spun around, a grisly, fake smile pasted on his face amongst the tears. 

"I need some time alone," he said, pausing so he could cough into his hand. "I've spent so much time thinking about how I'd die, but this..." he waved his hand in the air as if he was swatting at a fly. "I need to wrap my head around it."

And with that, he was gone. Logan took off his glasses, folding them and putting them in his pocket. The three sides stood in utter silence under the dim light. Finally, Logan, through an emotion cracked voice, spoke. "It's very late. We ought to sleep, in order to be productive tomorrow."

He did not wait for a response, only turning and slowly walking out of the room. Patton gave a minimally reassuring shoulder squeeze to Virgil and quickly followed, leaving the anxious side alone in the living room.

It was a good thing, too, that Virgil was alone and an insomniac.

Because he was about to go fuck shit up.


	6. Killing Me Softly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy some more pain, my fellow Fanders. (:

Virgil cracked his neck as he stomped towards Roman's bedroom door. He had a baseball bat slung over his shoulder, and little plan other than to, well, fuck shit up.

Virgil had never necessarily loved Deceit and Remus. They had been his friends when he was a dark side, and unfortunately, they had stopped being all that friendly after the schism that resulted in Virgil leaving. But he would never deny that he did care about them.

There was something very, very wrong with all of this. Deceit falling for Roman seemingly out of nowhere; Remus dying from Hanahaki disease... it was all so twisted. Remus did not deserve to be tormented. And so Virgil was going to smash the daylights out of Roman's room- Roman and Deceit were still in Deceit's room doing things he'd rather not think about- and then Deceit's when he got the chance. He was just so angry.

And so, Virgil picked the lock on the grand red, white, and gold door and stepped inside, flipping on the light. He was very, very nervous about this whole sneaking around thing... and what if somebody heard him? But he pushed the thoughts from his mind. No. This was important. It had to be done. And what was the worst that could happen if he was discovered?

The anxious side turned first to Roman's acting trophies and awards- well, they were technically Thomas's, but these were just copies- Thomas's mother had all of the real ones. Roman always made sure the shelf was dusted, and they were all on perfect display. Roman loved these so much. Apparently, he treated these trophies with more respect than his own twin. Virgil smiled, spinning the bat in his hands. "This is for being an ass!" He shouted and swung the bat. The things flew off the shelf, some shattering on impact, and the others crumbling as they hit the polished wood floor.

Virgil set the bat down, walking over to Roman's Disney and broadway posters. "This is for breaking Remus's heart!" He said as he ripped the Heathers poster clean in half. He destroyed all of them- even Roman's original cast signed Hamilton poster- before taking a deep breath.

The room was a mess of torn paper, broken glass, and shattered metal. Virgil was breathing hard, a little overwhelmed, and almost satisfied. He pulled out a sharpie and turned to Roman's desk, where all of his work was. Virgil leaned over the desk, and in big, sloppy letters wrote: YOU ARE A SOULLESS SON OF A BITCH. I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY ABOUT THE PAIN YOU'VE CAUSED. -ANXIETY. (He would have written just Virgil, but it took up more room to write 'Anxiety' out.)

Virgil tossed the sharpie down. He knew Roman would come screaming for him sometime the next day. And he was ready to fight. The light creative side needed to learn his lesson, if this wasn't enough, for fucking with people's feelings.

As he turned to leave, he spotted something shiny from within Roman's sock drawer. His curiosity getting the best of him, the side knelt. "Please don't be something nasty, please don't be something nasty," Virgil muttered as he reached in and pulled out- a vile? The vile was glass and contained something orange and glittery, the size of a soda can and the length of a Ukelele, but about a 6th of the way empty.

"What the hell?" Virgil asked aloud, carefully taking off the lid and sniffing it. The liquid smelled strongly of sulfur, and Virgil gagged, nearly choking to death. He screwed the lid back on hastily. The anxious side stood up, clutching the bottle. He wanted to know what it was. What was Roman hiding from all of them? What had he done?

Virgil turned off the light and stepped out of the room, bottle in hand. It was nearly 3 AM, but nobody was asleep, despite Logan's suggestion.

Patton lay in his bed in the dark, staring at the ceiling. He had cried a bit, paced a bit, and he was exhausted but his chest hurting with second-hand heartbreak. He couldn't sleep, his mind reeling with sympathy for Remus. It just wasn't fair.

Remus sat slumped under a single bulb at the dining room table, a wastebasket next to him for his occasional coughing fits. In his hand, his very cracked cell-phone displayed picture after picture of him and Deceit as he swiped through his gallery. How could it have all been a lie?

Deceit was curled up against Roman's warm, naked chest, the creative side breathing heavily, as they exchanged intimate conversation. Deceit felt empty. He was not tired, or displeased, and yet there was a hollow feeling in his heart he did not recognize. He leaned over, kissing Roman tenderly. It was so strange... in his heart, it felt wrong... but his head was telling him this is how he should feel, that this is what true love felt like. Deceit couldn't help but try and remember how he had felt in Remus's arms, but his mind was clouded like a heavy veil was between him and the old emotions. He gave up with a sigh, instead of focusing on the rise and fall of Roman's chest.

Roman felt torn. There was a bit of guilt in the back of his mind as he reminisced over the past several hours. But a sadistic joy overwhelmed him. 'I am better than my brother. Deceit seemed to enjoy himself. Love potion or no, I win, just as I was supposed too.' He grinned, sliding his hand through Deceit's hair.

Logan was sitting at his desk, pouring over book after book. He was trying in vain to find something, anything, that would so much as ease Remus's condition. But nothing was coming to light. He was so enveloped in his book that he nearly jumped out of his skin when Virgil spoke from behind him. "Logan, I need your help with something."

"Goodness, Virgil! I did not hear you enter," Logan said, brushing his hair from his face. "What do you require assistance with? It's 3 AM." 

Virgil set the vile roughly down on Logan's desk. "I need you to tell me what this is."

Logan stared at the bottle, holding it up to his desk light. "What... where did you get this?"

"Roman's room."

"Why were you in Roman's room?"

Virgil frowned. "I was destroying all of his stuff because he's an ass and deserves it. But that's beside the point." Logan opened his mouth to respond, but Virgil cut him off. "You're the cool teacher dude, Logan. I need your help. I think that Roman's up to something bad, and..."

He trailed off, unsure of quite what to say. Logan smiled softly when Virgil called him cool. The logical side stood and picked up the vile delicately. "Alright. I'll run some tests. Do you want to go to bed? I can tell you what I find out tomorrow."

Virgil shook his head. "Not tired," he mumbled as he yawned into his sleeve. "This is too important."

Logan hummed. "Virgil, you know that consistent sleep patterns are very important. If you genuinely want to stay present, you may sleep in my room. But I must insist that you get some rest, regardless of what you choose." 

"Fine. But you'll tell me as soon as you learn something?" Virgil asked as he pulled up his hood and settled into Logan's reading sofa, crammed in the corner of the room. 

"Of course," Logan said, setting to work.

He pulled on rubber gloves and carefully brought the vile to his microscope. There was a lot to do.


	7. Kind and Just

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's another dose of pain for ya'll. (;

Patton finally dragged himself from bed at 7 am, making his way downstairs to the kitchen. The moral side hadn't slept a wink, but there was no use in continuing to try. He found Remus slumped at the table, fast asleep. Next to him, the garbage was overflowing with bloody flower petals. "Hey," he whispered, leaning down next to the creative side. He rubbed Remus's back as the ill side awoke, starting the day with a short burst of coughing. He did this coughing into his sleeve, which Patton noticed were already horribly stained with blood.

"H-hey, Patton," Remus groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"I was thinking... the table looks like an awful place to sleep. Why don't you go catch a few Z's on the couch, and I'll make you something to eat?"

Remus nodded, stumbling to his feet. "Yeah, that'd be nice, if it's no inconvenience."

Patton was startled by the softness in Remus's voice. He lacked, well, all of his usual spunk. And he seemed so careful and nervous as he staggered off to the living room like he was treading on broken glass and was futilely hoping not to crack it anymore.

"Of course, it's not an inconvenience! Is there anything you'd like me to make?"

Remus shrugged. "I don't know. I'll eat anything."

Patton faked a smile, stepping out of the kitchen and heading for the stairs. "Okay, then. Logan's usually up by now; I'll ask him what he wants. Just relax, okay?"

The moral side walked upstairs, careful not to tread to loudly by Virgil's door. Normally, the anxious side would stay awake until nearly 5 am, so he certainly didn't want to wake his dark, strange son.

Patton was just about to knock on Logan's door when he heard a loud crash, followed by cursing. Fearing something horrible had happened, Patton hurried in, only to find Logan, covered in Orange, horrible smelling goo. Virgil was perched, bleary-eyed, on the side of Logan's reading couch, like a cat that accidentally gotten wet.

"What's going on?" Patton said, startling Logan from his poem of profanities.

"Virgil found something in Roman's room, and I'm trying to figure out what it is," Logan said, trying to clean some of it off his glasses. "But I can't make sense of it. I've never seen anything like this before." Logan sounded incredibly bitter. He was clearly put off by the fact that he couldn't learn something.

Patton approached him, trying to avoid breathing through his nose. He reached out and dabbed his finger in some of the goo. "I recognize this..." he murmured.

"You couldn't possibly," The logical side said dismissively as he tried unsuccessfully to scrape some of the fluid from his shirt.

"No, I have. It's from the imagination. A potion."

Logan stopped dead in his tracks. "I'm sorry, what?" He couldn't believe his ears. Surely, Patton had not just told him he knew what this was, after holding it for a few seconds. The moral side lifted the gooish-liquid to his lips. "Patton Don't! I strongly advise against consuming any substance you aren't fully sure of!"

Patton raised his other hand to reassure. "No, it's okay. It's not poison. "

"Yeah, but you don't know what it is!" Virgil yelped.

Patton shrugged, licking the small amount of goo off his finger. Logan and Virgil cringed in anticipation. Then Patton's eyes lit up. "Oh! I know what this is!"

"You... you do?" Logan stuttered, staring in awe at the moral side.

Patton nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh! This is Internavir Vibraclotide."

Virgil looked to Logan, expecting the logical side to nod and agree. But Logan looked even more confused than Virgil felt. "No such medication exists."

"Oh, well, it's not a medicine. It's a potion. You know, all magic potions have fancy names too."

Logan absolutely had not known this. The logical side sat down heavily on the floor like his whole world had been turned upside down. "Magic... magic doesn't exist," Logan said finally, but he didn't sound so sure.

Patton shrugged. "Well, of course not in the real world. But in the imagination, it does. It would make sense that one of the twins would have access to potions, as they control the imagination, for the most part. Or at least, the king did, before Roman and Remus split. But why would Roman have Internavir Vibraclotide?" The moral side mused.

"What does it do?" Virgil asked. Logan nodded in mutual confusion.

Patton smiled. He loved being the one who knew things every once and a while. "Well, it's a love potion. You have to consume about a cup or so of it to affect, but if ya do, it's really, really powerful. But, only the Dragon witch can brew it. I can't imagine why the dragon witch would be willing to make something like that..."

Virgil summoned a pack of baby wipes and handed them to Logan, who began cleaning the spill off of himself. He walked up to Patton. "Why do you know all of this stuff, exactly?" 

The moral side blushed deeply. "Well, I'm the heart. It's sorta my job to know about this sort of stuff, isn't it? Love potions are kind of a big deal, and I wouldn't want Thomas to get hurt by something just because he didn't know about it."

Virgil caught sight of Logan's lovestruck smile. He raised an eyebrow, and Logan was quick to pretend he hadn't just been caught salaciously staring at the moral side. "Wow, that's..." Logan cleared his throat, standing up. "You're pursual of knowledge is commendable, Patton."

"Thanks, Logie!" Patton beamed.

There was a short, awkward silence Virgil found himself forced to break. "Logan, do you think that Roman used this love potion on Deceit?"

Logan brushed his hair back, looking uncomfortable by the question as if he had known somebody would ask. "I hate to assume something so sinister of him, but that does appear to be the most likely scenario."

"As do I," said a new voice behind them. Patton jumped. Remus leaned in the doorway. All of them were all taken aback by his appearance. He looked so much worse than he had the night prior. Even just since Patton had last seen him. Remus had changed and was now wearing a pair of grey jeans and a matching hoodie, a green tee-shirt beneath it. His hair was messier even than usual, and the circles under his eyes and sallowness to his face was striking.

"I can't believe that Roman would do something like this... but why else would he have a potion like that if he wasn't planning on taking advantage of somebody who was under it?" Remus looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself, instead just repressing a cough.

He stepped forward, reaching out a shaky hand and taking some of the goo from Logan. "Well, who else could he have made it for. It's Orange. Yellow plus red. It makes sense that he would have brewed it for my- for Deceit," he corrected himself with a grimace.

"But.. why would he want Deceit? To spite you? That's wicked!" Patton said, looking worriedly to Virgil. But the anxious side had no answer. What was he supposed to say? All facts pointed to that. And Roman had always seemed to thrive on schadenfreude. But Roman was a good person, wasn't he? He was a prince. Kind and just. Right?

Remus seemed to want to respond but began coughing again. He turned away from them, bracing himself with one hand against the wall. His figure lurched as he coughed. Between a few coughs, he muttered something about being right back and hurried out of the room. Patton ran after him to make sure the dark creative side was alright.

When it was just him and Virgil, Logan snapped his fingers. His clothes and glasses were now clean, but his hair still had a gleam of sticky. The logical side sighed. "What are we to do, Virgil? Remus is not going to survive much longer. No more than a few days, I'd assume."

"The only thing we can do," Virgil said glumly. He pulled out his phone, dialing a number in it. "We've got to call the doc."


	8. Master Of The Puppets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy and Dr. Emile Picani show up to see what mess the sides have gotten themselves into.

Dr. Emile Picani's woke to his phone, ringing softly on the bedside table. Without his glasses, it made it very difficult to reach over Remy, who was spooned up against him. On the third ring, Remy yawned, reached out and picked up the phone, answering it with his eyes closed.

"It is too Goddamn early..." Remy began, but Emile could hear a muffled but frantic sounding voice on the other end of the line. Remy's eyes snapped open. "Woah gurl, slow down!"

"Who is it? Give me the phone, Rem," Emile said, trying to take it from his boyfriend. Remy held it away. 

"It's Anxi- Virgil." Sleep said quickly. He returned the phone to his ear. Picani waited in anticipation, fearfully watching as his boyfriend's expression shifted between different kinds of upset. "Jesus Christ," Remy muttered. "Yeah, we'll be right over." He ended the call, hopping out of bed and pulling on his jacket. He handed Emile his glasses.

"What's going on?"

"A lot of bad shit, apparently," Remy said, running a brush through his hair and summoning a coffee. He through Emile his clothes, and the therapist quickly began putting them on. "The creatives are having problems. I think Roman stole Remus's man, and now Remus is dying."

"WHaT?!?" Picani yelped, tugging on his sweater and tying his tie as they ran out the door.

"I don't know! Virgil was sort of frantic on the phone; I didn't catch what he said. But clearly, he needs your help."

The raced into the common rooms. The only ones there were Deceit and Roman. Deceit sat on the counter, eating an apple, and Roman leaned against the stove, laughing at something together. "Hey, guys! It's been a while! How are you?" Roman said, sporting a large smile that showed off a dark hickey on his neck.

"Fine, fine," Picani said breathlessly, reading the room.

Picani was happy to say that his ability to read people was his greatest skill. He could sense their emotions, especially how two people felt about each other. And there was something very, very strange about these two.

Roman came off as sadistic. When he looked at Deceit, his eyes mirrored that of Hans from Frozen when he had told Anna he didn't love her. They were mean and predator-like and full of sickening mock compassion that only a great liar was able to produce with success.

However, the greatest liar in mind sat on the counter, and he was most definitely not his normal self. On the surface, Deceit seemed to be full of nothing but the deepest love for Roman. But beneath the surface was nothing but an empty blackness. It was like Deceit wasn't there at all. Rather, he wholly closed off from the world.

Roman was a puppeteer, and Deceit nothing but a lifeless marionette.

"Actually, have you seen Remus? We need to talk to him," Remy said, taking the attention off of Emile, who was clearly doing his thing. 

Deceit scrunched up his nose. Roman barked a laugh. "Why would you want to talk to him?"

"Virgil said he's been sick," Sleep said flatly. He had never much cared for Roman. The side was so full of big, exhausting sounding ideas. And now, seeing as Roman was killing his brother slowly and painfully, it was no time for pleasantries. 

"Pft, not surprised," Roman laughed. "All that deodorant and dumpster diving, I thought he'd have been dead a long time ago! Don't you think so, beautiful?" Deceit was staring off into space, his brow furrowed. Remus's name seemed to have triggered something in him. Roman cleared his throat. "Darling?" Deceit still didn't respond. "Dee!" Roman said loudly. 

Deceit snapped out of his reverie. "Hmm? Oh yes, of course," he said dismissively.

"What were you worrying that pretty head of yours over, hmm?" Roman said in a low voice, stepping closer to Deceit.

"Oh, just how much I love you," Deceit said with a sigh, practically robotic. 

Roman seemed to like this answer, leaning in for a kiss. Just before he did, he spoke to the two who stood awkwardly in the entryway. "I'm not my brother's keeper, gentleman. I don't know where he is."

Remy and Emile looked at one another and moved on, climbing the stairs to where the light sides' rooms were. Remus had thrown up and then collapsed on the floor in Logan's room. Patton and Virgil sat next to him, the moral side sliding his fingers through Remus's hair in comfort. Logan was fast asleep on his bed, and Remy noted that the logical side hadn't slept all night, save the few minutes he was getting right now.

Virgil perked up when they entered. "Sweet Frank Iero, I'm glad you two are here! Thanks for coming so quickly."

"Yeah, well, when you say somebody's dying, Anxiety, being on time is like, a big deal." 

"Well, he is," Patton said in Virgil's defense. Emile and Remy listened as what had happened were explained to them. It was horrible and baffling, but it had happened nonetheless.

Picani bent down over Remus, carefully regarding him. There was nothing but the most retched heartbreak left in the side; it was a kind of pain Emile had never seen. But that was what caused Hanahaki disease. Remus opened his eyes weekly and stared in surprise at the therapist above him. "Picani?" he mumbled, reaching up weekly and wiping away the small stream of blood that had come from his mouth when he spoke. He noticed all of them staring at him, and he rolled his eyes. "Can you all leave me be? Yes, I know I'm a mess. Your brother drugging and stealing the love of your life can do that to ya."

Remy shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better babes, you're a hot mess." 

Emile stood up and jabbed him in the side with his elbow. "Remy!" He whispered, chastising his boyfriend. Sleep just smiled playfully. "Do you have the bottle of the love potion? It would be helpful to see how much Roman gave Deceit."

"No, we spilled it," Virgil said, sounding somewhat apologetic. "But Patton and Logan reckoned it wouldn't last long, as it was a small dose."

"You mean, he won't love Roman forever?" Remus groaned, hopefully, from the floor.

"No, no," said Emile softly. "As long as Roman doesn't continue to give him the potion, it should wear off soon."

The Duke looked distrusting and scared, and so, so sick. Virgil had thought that getting some good news would ease Remus's pain a little, but that didn't seem to be the case. "Why wouldn't Roman continue to give him the potion?"

Patton smiled. "Well, he can't anymore! Logan spilled it all. Don't worry Remus, this will all be fixed soon."

Remus bit his lip, massaging his temples. He was so quiet. Remy sat down cross-legged in front of him, gently pushing Virgil and Patton away to give Remus some space. "You're tired, aren't you babes?"

Remus nodded. "I'm exhausted. But if I try and sleep, I'm worried I won't wake up again." His voice cracked, and he wiped his slightly wet eyes with his sleeve. "I won't get to see... to see Deceit again... I'm afraid to close my eyes," he said, ending the sentence with a horrible coughing fit. Remy took off his sunglasses, pushing them upon his head.

"Would you believe me if I promised you that I won't let you die while you're asleep?" Remy asked, tilting his head. Before Remus could respond, Remy continued. "Because sleep is, like, my thing. I promise you, I will not let you die while you're asleep. None of us are going to let any more bad things happen to you, Remus."

Remus couldn't help himself. He began to cry. He dove forward and hugged Remy as tightly as he could, which wasn't very tight considering how sick he was, but the sentiment was there. Remy looked very unsure of what to do, so he awkwardly held the sobbing creative side who blubbered thank you's over and over again.

Finally, Remy politely pulled away, and he and Picani pulled Remus up to the couch, where Remy used his skills to put the creative side. He sat with Remus as the others spoke in hushed voices. They didn't really need to speak quietly, Remy's presence would keep Remus and Logan deeply asleep as long as he liked.

Good thing too, as suddenly the mind echoed with a fierce yell. "VIRGIL!!!!!!!!!!" Came Roman's furious scream from down the hall.

Everyone jumped. Virgil rolled his eyes. "Ahh, he saw his room. This should be good."


	9. I Don't Love You Like I Loved You Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit shorter than my usual chapters, but I thought it was fitting to end it here.
> 
> Warning: If you still held out hope for Roman being a good person, you're in for a world of hurt in this chapter hon.

Patton yelped as Roman swung at Virgil. The side had entered, burning with anger. "You piece of shit! How dare you destroy my belongings!" He had yelled and tried to punch Virgil. The anxious side ducked and pushed Roman to the ground.

"Oh, don't start!" Virgil shouted back as Roman climbed to his feet. "I know what you did! We all do. How dare you call me a piece of shit after what you've done!"

Roman startled a little but quickly changed his expression to a smirk. "Oh, do you? Good for you. I don't see why you care; you never liked the dark sides anyway!"

"They're Thomas's sides, Roman! And they were- are my friends. And I can't sit back and watch as you kill Remus!"

"Kill Remus?" echoed Roman and one other voice. They turned to see Deceit, standing like a ghost in the doorway. He had trailed silently behind Roman when the side had gone to confront Roman, his face stark of emotion. His mind was churning. Remus, Remus, Remus... Remus? Why did that name stir something in him like so? His mind was racing as if he was trying to put together a puzzle, but the pieces were devoid of any picture, and he was underwater. "What are you talking about? I am not killing my brother. How dare you accuse me of-"

"He has Hanahaki disease, and it's all because you took Deceit from him!" Virgil spat. 

Roman's brow furrowed. "Hanahaki?" He said, his voice briefly soft as he looked at his twin, asleep on the couch.

Patton nodded, trying to be helpful. "Yeah. Hanahaki is-"

"I know what Hanahaki is, Patton," Roman said sharply, losing his brief amount of sympathy. "And I don't know what you expect me to say about it. Remus is weak for falling so deeply in love; he is stupid for thinking somebody would ever actually love him, and it serves him right anyway! Putting all those ideas in Thomas's head... I'm really doing everyone a favor by getting him out of here. You should be thanking me!"

The others were all struck silent. How could Roman be so cruel? Finally, Deceit spoke, his voice fragile and strained. "And what do you know about love, Roman?"

Roman spun around, sputtering. "Excuse me?"

"I said, what do you know about love? What you see in Disney movies? What you read in books? Are you really in the position to be saying your brother is weak for showing emotion you are too cold and heartless to feel?" Deceit was shaking, his eyes flickering quickly across the room like a madman. 

Roman laughed awkwardly. "My Angel, my darling, are you feeling alright? You're saying ridiculous things..."

Deceit shook his head wildly. "How... how can you tell them that you wish your own brother dead?"

Roman slung an arm around Deceit's waist, jerking him close. "Deceit, please, you don't know what you're saying. Don't talk about things you know nothing about; you know I love you! And you were just telling me last night how disgusting you found Remus..."

Deceit was breathing hard, his mind racing. Virgil saw that Deceit's world was falling down around him. Good, the potion was wearing off. "B-but I don't find him disgusting. I... I loved him... I love him!" Deceit came to a realization, trying to run forward to Remus. But Roman grabbed him.

Roman was much stronger then Deceit, and quite a bit taller. Deceit struggled against him, but it didn't make a difference. "Remus! Rem-" Deceit cried, trying desperately to get away from Roman. But Roman merely clamped a hand over the mouth of the lying side, Silencing his calls. 

"That's enough!" Roman barked. Emile, Virgil, and Patton ran over from their places by Remus to help Deceit. Roman sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes and sinking out, dragging the other side with him.

"Oh, Fuck!" Virgil yelled, stomping his foot. "We were so close!" He kicked the wall against which Deceit had been leaning against. 

Emile reached over and put his hands on Virgil's shoulders. "Virgil, you need to calm down."

"CALM DOWN? HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN WHEN WE JUST MIGHT HAVE LOST DECEIT FOREVER, AND REMUS IS GOING TO DIE?!?!"

Emile gripped Virgil tightly, forcing the anxious side to look at him. "Virgil, this is not the end of the world. We can figure this out. I'm going to need you to have a level head so you can help us fix the problem. Please, you are wasting what time Remus has left by acting like this. Breathe in for 4 seconds..." Virgil followed the instructions. "And then hold for 7... now out for eight. Good. Let's repeat." After a few moments, Virgil had calmed down a bit.

"Don't worry, kiddo, things aren't as bad as they may seem! Right Picani?" Patton asked, still visibly shaken up by Roman's kidnapping of Deceit.

Picani was not a good liar, so he just nodded.

Things very well might have just gotten a Hell of a lot worse.


	10. Let Me Change Your Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So here is a warning, this chapter is where we get more into the lack of consent stuff. It's not super graphic, but it is not a happy chapter. If you'd rather skip this chapter because you're uncomfortable with this topic, I'll be leaving a short summary of the more important plot points from Chapter 10 in the notes on Chapter 11.

They rose up somewhere Deceit didn't recognize. Everything was made of black marble, with tall ceilings and expensive furniture. Deceit withered against Roman, trying to get away from him.

"If you don't stop struggling, things will get a lot worse for you, Deceit," Roman growled. But Deceit didn't stop. He had to get away from here. From Roman. Remus needed him. Deceit stepped on Roman's foot, causing the creative side to loosen his grip. The side pulled away, sprinting down the long hallway. "Deceit!" Roman called, taking off after the side. "Come back!!!"

Deceit ran as fast as he could away from the other side, unsure of where to go but knowing he needed to be somewhere far away from Roman. The creative side called after him, and Deceit glanced back to see that Roman was quite a ways away. 

Looking back was a mistake. Suddenly, he found himself on the ground. "Vibe, check!" A low voice laughed, and Deceit groaned, clutching his jaw where this person had hit him. He looked up from the floor and stared in horror at the figure in front of him.

A DRAGON stood on its hind legs in front of him, standing at about nine feet high, and it was wearing a large black cloak. The dragon's scales were purple, and its eyes black as night. Deceit scrambled to his feet to run again, but the creature snagged a large claw on his shirt. "Oh no, you don't, hon. You'd best stay on the ground for now," it said, pushing him gently back to the ground. He tried to sink out to no avail. Things seemed to work very differently in the imagination.

Roman came jogging up. "Dragon Witch," he said in acknowledgment.

"Prince Roman. What are you doing here, and who is this?" they motioned to Deceit, who sat mortified on the ground.

"This is Deceit. For whom I asked you to make the love potion? Well, I need more." 

"You g-gave me a love potion?" Deceit choked.

The other two looked at him. Roman rolled his eyes. "Uhh, yeah, Dee. Can you shut that pretty mouth of yours? The adults are talking," he snickered, turning back to the dragon, who was studying Deceit.

"He doesn't seem very in love with you," they said, confused.

"Yeah. It wore off, and the others destroyed the rest."

The dragon witch sighed. "Of course they did. But I ask you; how did Duke Remus take to it?" Their eyes lit up.

Roman laughed. "Oh, it broke his heart! He has Hanahaki disease! Soon enough, he'll be off our hands, and you may have his kingdom of the imagination."

The Dragon witch smiled. "Fine, I will make you more. But I will be pretty irked if you lose this batch as well. Come along, and bring him with you," He said, motioning to Deceit.

Roman jerked Deceit to his feet, dragging him along by his wrist, and the liar realized he had no choice but to follow. "Roman, please, please let me go. You don't have to do this!"

Roman shook his head at Deceit's pleas, but would not meet his eyes as they followed the Dragon Witch. "I do. Look Deceit; I'm sorry you're tied up in this. You're a handsome, sort of-sometimes nice guy, and you're smart. I'd rather it not have been you, but you're the one my brother wanted to propose too. I'm afraid I just can't let The Duke find a happy ending before the Prince does."

"So you're killing him. And you're enslaving me. All because you're fucking jealous?" Deceit said, and Roman gripped Deceit's arm tighter, causing the side to wince.

"Shut up! You don't get it. I am better in every way than my brother! I deserve to find love first, to be happy first! If that means he has to die... so be it."

Deceit didn't know what to say. So he silently let Roman lead him behind the dragon Witch to a room adjacent to the hallway, with walls lined with strangely shaped and colored bottles on old wooden shelves. In the middle of the room was a large cauldron.

The Dragon Witch snapped their fingers, and a fire lit beneath it. Roman pushed Deceit to the ground as he and the Dragon Witch began to gather ingredients. When Deceit saw they weren't looking, he pushed himself to his feet and started slowly backing out of the room. Maybe he could get out...

But suddenly, the door slammed closed at a wave of the Dragon Witches' hand. "You're not going anywhere, hon," they said and waved their hand, dragging Deceit over with magic.

Within the cauldron was a frothing, glowing liquid. Roman reached up to his head and pulled out a hair with a wince, dropping it in the cauldron. The liquid instantly turned a vibrant red. They both turned to Deceit expectantly. When Roman tried to reach and pluck a hair off of Deceit's head, the lair slapped his hand. "We need some DNA. But you know, if you wanna be difficult, we could always chop off your finger instead," The Dragon Witch mused. Deceit sighed and plucked a stray hair from his shirt, tossing it in.

"I don't want this!" Deceit cried, watching as the Dragon Witch muttered an incantation while using a ladle to pour it into a bronze goblet. "Please, Roman. If you ever had any respect for me, don't take away my free will!"

Roman shrugged. "Look, I said I'm sorry. But nothings going to change. You are going to continue to worship me, and Remus is going to die." He grabbed Deceit's shoulders, forcing him to his knees. The Dragon Witch handed Roman the goblet.

The creative side held open Deceit's mouth, the Dragon Witch, using their magic to restrain him. Roman poured it in Deceit's mouth and clamped his hand down over the liar's mouth and nose when he attempted to spit. "Swallow," Roman commanded.

Deceit couldn't breathe. Roman was suffocating him. He was going to have to swallow. Deceit internally cursed in defeat. What could he do? Remus was going to die within the next two days, and he would be stuck at Roman's side. Deceit couldn't remember what it had been like being under the potion the first time. He had blacked out after running with Remus from the zoo, just after having stollen that snake, and only seen bits and flashes of the world since.

And then Virgil had shouted about Remus. Remus. His Remus. The love of his life. And that he was dying at Roman's hands. Deceit would've rather died than be a slave to the one who murdered the man he loved. But he didn't have that option. Deceit was beginning to see spots in the corners of his eyes from lack of oxygen. And Roman was growing impatient. Deceit felt the Dragon Witch strengthen their hold on Deceit, putting pressure on his chest and throat.

He swallowed the horrible orange sludge, and Roman let him go. Deceit gasped for air. "There, that wasn't so difficult, was it?" Roman said, his voice growing soft and sickeningly sweet.

"You're a monster..." Deceit choked. He didn't feel any different yet. Just as last time, it would take a little while to take effect. 

"You won't think that for much longer," Roman sighed, pulling Deceit to his feet. He bid farewell to the Dragon Witch and they sunk out.

_________________________________________________________

Non-con scene ya'll

_________________________________________________________

They were back in Roman's room. The creative side waved his hand, and his destroyed things were put back in some sort of order, though the trophies were clearly just glued, and the posters taped. "So, how are you feeling, Deceit?"

"I still loathe you." He hissed. Roman was standing between him and the door. He wasn't going to be able to just leave like that.

Roman half-smiled. "Aww, that's not true, is it? I know how much you want me, deep down. Of course, I am my brother but better, and somehow you managed to fall in love with him."

"I could never want you, Roman. All I want you to do is leave me alone. Let. Me. Leave."

Roman's smile faded away. "Ugh, I wish it didn't take so long to take effect. It's really quite annoying to hear you like this. You're so much more fun when you're in love with me." He took steps forward to Deceit, seemingly struck by a realization. "Maybe I can make you love me... for real..."

"What are you talking about?" Deceit spat, unconsciously taking a step back. Roman suddenly reached out and grabbed Deceit's hips. "What are you doing? Stop it!"

"Come on, Dee! You had so much fun with me last night..."

"L-last night?" Deceit asked, stretching his memory to find what Roman was talking about. But the potion had flawlessly blocked it all out.

"Mhm... You were a mess for me, falling apart at my touch, telling me just how much of a better kisser then Remus, a toy for me to use to my fancy..." Roman said, pressing a kiss into Deceit's neck. Deceit reached up and slapped Roman. Roman frowned. "Is that how you want to play this?"

He pushed Deceit back on the bed, summoning handcuffs. Deceit fought him the whole way along, but it didn't matter. Roman used his larger size against him, pinning the liar down and cuffing him to the head of the bed. "Roman stop, please, I don't want it!" Deceit whined, desperate. But Roman didn't care one bit.

"Oh, yeah, you do. Stop lying, my darling." The Prince pushed a gag into Deceit's mouth so that the others wouldn't hear.

Deceit was panicking. He felt his mind slipping from his control as Roman touched him, in all those sensitive places he had hoped to reserve for Remu-

But the name caught in his mind. He couldn't quite form a thought about the Duke as Roman's hands wandered over his body, preparing to do things Deceit was afraid to even think about. Deceit felt tears come into his eyes. He didn't want to forget. He didn't want to slip away full well knowing that when he woke up again if ever, Roman will have carried out unspeakable acts, and his boyfriend would be dead.

"Are you seriously crying right now, bitch?" Roman demanded. "I don't know what my brother saw in you. You're both sick and sad and pathetic. I think I'll fuck the whinny whore out of you right now."

Roman might have said more, but the world went black, leaving the liar with the last few thoughts in his head before he lost sight of the world completely.

PLEASE!

I CAN'T!

DON'T LET ME BE HIS SLAVE AGAIN!

I'LL DO ANYTHING, PLEASE!

DON'T LET ME LOSE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!

REMUS, I AM SO, SO SORRY!

I LOVE YOU--


	11. Tearing At the Seems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Riveroot_Nightshade for helping me with the fluffier parts of this chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I mentioned that I would be adding a summary of chapter 10 here, as it contains some slightly more graphic content and you can skip over that chapter of you prefer not to read things like that.
> 
> So- Roman takes Deceit, (the effects of the potion have completely worn off, leaving Deceit with no memory of any of the events that have gone on since about the zoo) to the lair of the Dragon Witch. Roman and the Dragon Witch have a conversation, and basically we learn that Roman has offered the Dragon Witch all of the Duke's side of the imagination if they help him. The Dragon Witch makes the potion again begrudgingly, Roman force-feeds it to Deceit, and then drags him back to the creative side's room. They have a conversation. Roman whines about how long it takes for the potion to take effect.
> 
> Then he basically proceeds to rape Deceit, who at this point is still fully conscious, with the intent of 'making him actually love him.' Deceit has a long inner monologue about how much he loves Remus before eventually the potion takes affect and he passes out.
> 
> And that's the 10th chapter, everyone!

When Remus woke up, it was the early evening. His head lay in Remy's lap, who was bored scrolling through Tik Tok. Remus sighed in relief. He had survived. When Remy noticed Remus was awake, He smiled.

"Good evening, Sleeping Beauty. Here you are, safe and sound. I told ya I always keep a promise," Remus sat up, the itching in the back of his throat awful, but at least he wasn't exhausted anymore. "Patton called us down for dinner a few minutes ago. Wanna go?"

Remus nodded, climbing shakily to his feet. "Yeah, I'm as starving as a Russian peasant in the USSR." Remy scrunched up his forehead, wanting to say something, but not settling on how to react to this comment.

Slowly, he and Remus made their way downstairs.

The first person that Remus saw upon getting downstairs was Virgil, who wrapped him up in a rare hug.

"It's all going to be fine, alright?" He detached himself. "Now, let's distract ourselves with Pat's cooking!"

Remus and Remy smiled back and followed Virgil into the living room to wait until Logan, Picani, and Patton finished up in the kitchen. They would have helped, but they were the only sides who could passably cook.

A few minutes later, and Picani came out and grandly waved them towards the dining room. "Dinner is served!"

The three sides followed him towards the savory smell emanating from the dining room, Remy pecking his boyfriend on the lips with a smirk as he passed. Upon entering the room, Remus saw each plate had a helping of spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread. He also noticed Virgil giving Logan's plate a look of disdain, which had a jar of CROFTERS jelly by it. He didn't know why yet, but he wanted to.

"Okay, kiddos, let's chow down in some good grub!" Patton said excitedly from his seat next to Logan's.

Remus sat down at the end of the table, across from Virgil and next to Remy, taking out a stick of deodorant and spreading it over his own garlic bread. He then saw Logan so the same with his Crofters, which he respected greatly, and he told Logan as much. "Logan, my good sir, I am proud of you. Your choice of bread topping is lovely.," Remus laughed, with a thrill in his voice. Virgil was just to kill himself by punching his palms through his eyes, and Patton was trying not to let him.

Remus twirled his spaghetti on his fork the best he could, but his throat hurt to swallow, and he was and not very driven. So he watched the others. They were all so happy, or at least trying to be despite the situation, which he appreciated. Remus noticed Patton trying to hide his blushes whenever Logan said something. They were so adorable! It was clear that Patton was madly in love with Logan.

Even with glasses, they were to blind to see how the other felt. "Hey," Virgil whispered from across from him, catching his attention. "I was wondering. So today, Thomas slipped on a storm drain, and I was telling him to be more careful because he could fall in and be eaten by an alligator. That stuff's all true, isn't it?"

Remus bit his lip, vaguely remembering Logan telling him once that it was an Urban legend, but decided to ignore it. What did the logical side know, anyway? "Oh yeah, definitely. They're as big as Elephants. You know, people find them out in the marsh and try to take them as pets, and then decide they can't keep 'em and flush them down the toilet to avoid animal protection agencies. There are tons of them down there."

Virgil slammed his hand down on the table. "I knew it! And Logan tried to say it was fake! I'm sorry I don't want Thomas to get eaten!" Remus laughed, hard. He had missed these sorts of conversations with Virgil, this spiraling back and forth, spewing disturbing facts.

Remus was cut off by a short bout of coughing that drew everyone's attention to him. "Hey, are you okay, kiddo?" Patton asked, clearly concerned but trying to smile, so he didn't look it.

The creative side nodded. "Of course, Padre. I'm totally fine. This is delicious, by the way!" He said, even though he hadn't eaten any of it.

Patton beamed. "Aww, thanks! You know, Logan helped! He's such a great cook!"

The logical side cleared his throat awkwardly, pulling his tie looser. "Uhm, thank you, Patton. I appreciate it. But You'll remember Dr. Picani helped too."

"Hell yeah, he did!" Remy half-shouted with pride, poking Emile in the side, causing him to burst out laughing.

"Dear…!" Emile giggled, trying to scramble away from Remy's tickling. "You're embarrassing me!" He insisted, though his grin said otherwise.

Remy scoffed with mock offense. "What, I can't be proud of the delicious food you made?" Picani shook his head silently, restraining his laughter as he bent over his plate, going back to eating.

Patton dished himself another helping. "Well, it was a team effort. Anyway, I'm glad you like it, Remus."

Remus smiled, but he felt his strength leaving him. It was exhausting to try and conversate with the others. He was refraining from coughing the best he could, but was beginning to feel dizzy and sick. He tried clearing his throat quietly under the hum of them talking so not to draw attention to himself, but he was burning up.

If Deceit were here, he would have done something like drag Remus off to a couch and cuddle him until he felt better. He'd be smothering him with affection but mainly trying to steal the creative-sides warmth as they casually debate some immoral concept or another. And Remus would've felt good, and loved, and the darkness that tore him up inside would dissipate.

But it was Deceit's absence in the first place that hurt him so horribly. It was then, finally, that Remus cleared his head. He had tried to get around it, so numb and tired since the night before. But now he had a revelation. "My twin brother wants me dead," he thought aloud, but nobody heard him. Roman had sabotaged his life. He had taken away the one person Remus felt understood him; the one person who loved him and never asked him to try and be different. Deceit actually respected him. And Deceit was the one person Remus wanted to be good for because of this. And Roman had taken him away, not caring that Remus was dying because if it.

Remus's heart broke even more. Roman and he had gotten along once. After the split. Roman was his literal other half; how could he want Remus dead? It didn't make any sense. Couldn't he see that he had stolen the one thing Remus lived for? Remus succumbed to a big fit of coughing. All of them looked over.

Patton and Picani exchanged a nervous glance as Remus stopped coughing. There was a dark cloud hanging over Remus, who slumped in his chair with a dangerous, contemplative expression on his face. "Remus? Is everything alright?" Picani asked carefully.

"Alright? Alright!? My twin drugged the love of my life, and I am dying. Does that sound alright to you?!" Remus spat. He didn't even look Picani in the eye as he responded; instead he was staring across the table through Virgil, who was becoming more and more uncomfortable under the Duke's thoughtless gaze.

"Kiddo, you know that's not what he meant…" Patton defended.

"Oh, I know that. And I didn't mean to sound like I was angry with you, Doctor, because I'm not. I am, however, furious with my brother." Remus stood quickly, gripping the table for support as his body wretched up more bloody flower petals. Remy stood up, wanting to help the creative side but having no idea what to do.

"You know what?" Remus said in a giddy voice, with the same energy that Patton would express when he was a puppy. "I think I'm going to kill him," Remus summoned his mace, getting up and walking from the table.

The other diners looked at each other, before all jumping to there feet. Logan and Patton, who were sitting closest to the door, caught Remus by the arms. "Remus, that is quite the extreme!" Logan said, trying to pull the weapon from Remus's skilled hand.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's warranted, considering what Roman has done to me!" He yelled, yanking his arm from Patton and using the weight of his body to pull away from Logan.

He took off down the hallway. He had no idea where he was going but was set on finding Roman and Deceit. He had to. Unfortunately, his lungs did not share this vigor. Remus tried to push back his coughing. He was usually very athletic, and surely some stupid flower wasn't going to defeat him!

Remus stopped, leaning up against the wall and coughed for a long time. Virgil was the first to reach him. "Hey, calm down, slow breaths-" But Remus couldn't even take a breath. He was coughing and coughing and coughing. Spots came before his eyes, his blood rushing through him at an alarming rate. Remus dropped like a stone, sliding against the wall heavily. He felt strong, precise hands grab him, keeping him from tipping over to the floor.

"It's easier for further irritants to make their way to your throat to trigger coughing when you're lying down. You have to stay upright, Remus," Logan commanded, his voice ringing strong in the creative side's ears. He felt Virgil clapping him on the back, but petals just kept coming, a few at a time every few coughs. Finally, he stopped, his head swirling. "I think it would suit you to refrain from exercise," Logan said softly.

Remus nodded, a small laugh escaping his bloody lips before he passed out once again.


	12. Split

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things just might be getting better!

It was mid-morning. Everything had been left behind in haste to watch over Remus, who was unconscious and sick on the couch. The others were sprawled out in various places of the living room, careful not to leave the dying side, who they had been up with for a long time last night. So now, Patton was cleaning up from dinner, quietly, alone in the kitchen.

And so, it was no surprise that Patton almost had a heart attack when he saw Deceit walk into the kitchen. The liar had been on everyone's minds all day, and where Roman might have taken him. The hadn't even told Remus, who had been unconscious at the time of the kidnapping, for fear of stressing him out more. But surprisingly, he didn't look to be in horrible shape, though his human side sported a large black eye. 

"D-Deceit!" Patton screeched, dropping a plate. Both of them flinched when it shattered. Logan jolted awake, but the others stirred slightly and kept sleeping. Logan grabbed his glasses and stumbled into the kitchen. Deceit backed up against the wall away from the two of them, looking small and hurt.

"We were worried about you! What happened to your eye? Are you okay?" Patton rushed over to him, but Deceit stood there, stiff as a board.

He was trembling a little, his arms crossed around himself in support. "P-Patton?" He said in a soft voice, and Patton shuddered. It was so broken, so fragile, so desperate. 

"Yes?" Patton asked, trying to be careful. It was clear it was hard for the liar to form a sentence. "You know you can talk to me, Deceit, and We're here for you. What happened?"

Deceit shook his head sharply, wiping away the wetness from his eyes. "I don't- I can't-" he stuttered quietly.

"Take a deep breath, Deceit. Take your time to get a hold of yourself, and we will wait as long as you need," Logan said calmly.

Deceit whimpered. "But that's the p-problem! I don't know what's happening to me..." he whispered. Deceit slid to the ground against the wall, hugging his knees. Logan and Patton knelt next to him. 

"Did Roman not give you more of that love potion?" Patton asked, confused. He thought that would be Roman's first action, but Deceit didn't seem very in love right now.

The liar nodded. "That's the problem- he did, Pat! And now... and now I it's like something's broken in me!"

"Are you implying that the love potion did not have the effects Roman wished it too?" Logan asked. 

Deceit nodded slowly. "I... I keep blacking out and then waking back up again. The first time he drugged me, I was just out for the count, and that was it. No memory from when we stole that snake at the z-zoo until we were in your room, Logan. But now..." 

Deceit tried to take a deep breath, but it was becoming harder for him to stay calm. Patton put his arm around Deceit. "Hey, It'll be alright! Whatever's faulty with the potion, I'm sure you and Logan can sort out, and then you can help Remus! Soon enough, this whole deal with Roman will be just a bad dream, okay?" The moral side tried to rub off some of his enthusiasm, but to his horror, Deceit started to cry.

Logan frowned deeply. He could tell there was more Deceit wanted to say, but it was a strain. He didn't understand emotions very well from experience, but he had been with Virgil enough times to understand what pure panic and fear looked like. "Deceit, can you match your breathing to mine? In for four seconds... hold for seven.... out for eight... excellent job. Again," Logan said softly but clearly. 

After a few moments, when Deceit had stopped crying as hard, he managed to choke out what he needed to tell them. "You don't understand-d. Roman... he's... he's nothing like how we thought we knew him. When the potion was working, he did awful things. And then... then last night-" he stopped himself, taking a deep breath.

Patton began to see where this was going. "Oh no! Dee, he didn't...?" Patton trailed off, not wanting to let the idea cross his mind.

Deceit nodded. "I was fully normal for most of it. I b-begged him to stop... but he- his hands-touching me-" Deceit began to panic once again, his speech incoherent through tears. This time Logan and Patton couldn't get him to calm down, but of course, he had every right to be upset.

Remus, who had been half awake but a bit too weak to process his surroundings for the last two hours, groggily opened his eyes at the noise. Somebody was crying. He looked around carefully. Virgil was asleep on the floor, curled up at the base of the side of the couch where Remy was snoring, Picani draped on top of him like a blanket. Which meant... was Patton or Logan crying Remus pushed himself shakily to his feet, grabbing the backrest of the couch for support as he stumbled into the kitchen.

His heart skipped a beat.

There on the floor, Deceit was curled up, Patton and Logan trying desperately to get him to stop crying. "Dee?"

The side slowly lifted his head. "R-Remus?"

Deceit hurridly stumbled to his feet, standing a few feet from Remus. They stared at each other for a brief moment. And then Deceit launched himself into Remus's arms, burying his face in Remus's hoodie and sobbing. Remus, who was in shock, looked wildly between Patton and Logan for an answer, but when nothing was immediately explained, he hugged Deceit tightly back. 

"Remus! I'm so, so sorry! I know I've hurt you, and I get it if you hate me, and I hope you know it's not my fault and-" Deceit was stuttering through some whole speech, still crying and begging Remus for forgiveness.

"Hey, hey, hey! Love, I'm not mad at you!" Remus whispered, his voice soft. He gently pulled Deceit closer, pressing his forehead against the liar's. "It's okay. I'll be fine! Roman will pay for taking you away from me!"

"I was so worried about you and the Hanahaki disease... I love you so much, Remus." Deceit murmured shakily.

"I love you too, Dee," Remus said, clearing his throat of a few petals as casually as possible. "Don't worry. You're safe now." They stood there, holding this intimate embrace until Deceit had stopped crying. Remus pulled back a little, cupping Deceit's cheek with his hand and gazing at one another with fond exhaustion. Patton wiped away a tear brimming at the corner of his eye. They were so happy together. So perfect for one another.

And then Deceit shuddered quite visibly. He pulled away from Remus, clutching his head. "Oh god, not now, not now!" He groaned.

"What? What's wrong?" Remus said, reaching out.

"It appears that the love potion Roman gave Deceit is working inconsistently," Logan said quickly, his eyes following Deceit's rigid movements.

"You mean he's still under my brother's control?!"

"...Somewhat, yeah. I'm so, so sorry..." Deceit said, breathing heavily. 

"No need to worry, I will take him back to my room and work to isolate any chemicals that are disturbing Deceit's brain," Logan said, firmly gripping Deceit's arm.

"You'll fix it?" Remus asked carefully.

"To the best of my abilities, you know I will try," Logan responded. Patton beamed.

"Remus, I love you, okay? Anything I say or do under the potion's effects is a lie. You're always the one Iove, no matter what Roman wants you to think!" And just like that, Deceit completely changed. 

Suddenly he straightened up, no longer looking hurt. He laughed awkwardly, brushing away the hair that was stuck to his forehead with sweat. "Well, that was a laugh, wasn't it!" Deceit said, his lips curling into a smile. "You are all so desperate for me to be the way you want me to be that I can trick you again and again so easily! It's hilarious. Roman will find in hilarious. Say, wouldn't you mind letting go of my arm, Logan? I've aught to get back to him now."

Deceit tried to pull away, but Logan held firmly. "This is intriguing. A full personality change at a whim on the effects of a faulty potion?" Logan tilted his head, awestruck by the ordeal.

"Logan, I asked that you let me go," Deceit said, his laughter dying away.

"We're not going to until we get the real Deceit back!" Patton said, grabbing Deceit's other arm.

"Hey! Let me go!" Deceit growled. The sides shook their heads.

"Don't worry, Remus. We'll get it all sorted out, I promise." Patton said with a soft smile, before the trio sunk out, leaving Remus in the kitchen.

Remus leaned against the stove for support, feeling as if his legs were on the verge of giving out. Patton had promised things would be okay now. That he'd get his boyfriend back. But now, as Remus coughed up more flower petals, he couldn't be sure.


	13. Brother Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took longer, I've been swamped this week.

Remus was curled up in the corner of the couch, playing cat's cradle with a string like Patton had taught him. Anything to keep his mind off of Deceit. 

It appeared that the Hanahaki diseases' growth had slowed, as Remus stopped coughing quite as much, much to everyone else's relief. Of course, that was a complete and utter lie, but the only one who could have detected this was locked away with Patton and Logan, who was trying and failing to fix what had gone wrong. Remy and Picani had returned to their side of the mind for the evening, promising to return the next day to check-in. Roman was nowhere to be found. So that left Remus with Virgil.

The anxious side stood in the kitchen, doing his very best to make food. Usually, he wouldn't have, as Patton always seemed to enjoy it so much. But the situation is called for it today. Every once and awhile we would glance over, checking up on Remus. It was surprising to see Remus so quiet and still, something that was so out of character for the creative side. Virgil beetroot his lip. He wanted to say something that would comfort the Duke. But what was there to say? Surely this was hard enough on him already. He didn't want to make the poor guy feel worse.

"Logan and Patton know what they're doing. Deceit will be back before you know it!" Virgil said, riffling through the cupboards for something suitable to eat. 

"Yeah, yeah," Remus mumbled from the couch. He repressed a cough. 

Remus had reached a strange state of mind. It seemed as if the world was telling him that everything would be okay, that they could go back the way that things had been before, and it would all be okay. But the truth was, it wasn't fine. Remus knew he was dying, and if Deceit wasn't fixed soon, he would continue to die. But if Deceit were fixed- what about Roman? They were twins. Remus didn't want to hate his brother. But after what he had done, how could he trust him again? Remus hardly noticed as he began to cough harder- it had become such a norm for him the past several days.

Suddenly, Virgil was kneeling in front of him. "Hey," he said, putting a hand on Remus's shoulder, jarring the creative side from his thoughts. "Why don't we take a walk? You look like your thoughts are going pretty dark, and I can't find anything good to eat anyway." Remus nodded, getting up and pulling on his shoes slowly. 'It'll be good for me. I need to focus on something else. ' The two of them sunk into Remus's side of the imagination.

Since Remus hadn't been there in quite a while, the place had changed quite a bit. Everything had become lighter and blander, Roman's half of the imagination starting to infect his. It was a chilly evening, and a light breeze swept across the dirt paths that lead throughout Remus's castle's grounds. Virgil, who was only a little taller than Deceit, linked his arm through Remus's, jamming his hands in his pockets.

Remus raised his eyebrows at the gesture. Virgil blushed a little. "What? I don't want you fainting or anything. It would be super annoying if I had to drag you home..."

Remus smiled, silencing Virgil. "Thanks for caring, friendo," he murmured as they walked. It was so nice to be heald, Remus thought. He missed it. He had gotten a few reassuring hugs from Patton. Remy had held him when he had slept the day before. But that had been so awkward, so full of pity. There was something about being with the other dark side- even if he was a 'former' one- it was just so much freer; it was so much more comfortable.

And it was Virgil who stood at his side, of all people! Virgil, who had always been so repulsed, so afraid of him. "Why are you doing this, Virgil? I thought you hated me."

Virgil frowned, his eyes lit up with surprise. "Hate you? Why would you think that?"

"Well, you always seem to get so angry when we're talking to Thomas. And you did leave..." Remus said, feeling his neck grow warm- either with embarrassment or a new coughing fit (perhaps both), he couldn't tell.

"Damn, Remus, I don't hate you," Virgil said, kicking aside a fallen tree branch in front of them. "I mean, sure I don't like that you, Deceit, and the others make Thomas feel a bit bad, but I hope that you know I still consider you a friend. I'm sorry that you thought I didn't." A weight Remus didn't know he was carrying seemed to lift from his chest. Virgil didn't hate him. Well, that's one good thing he's gotten out of this horrible experience.

There was a long, awkward silence. Remus had to stop several times to cough and cough and cough. But he did feel better to be moving about. "Speaking of you and Deceit," Virgil said, his voice careful, "when this whole love potion shit is done with, what kind of wedding would you like to have?"

...And then this feeling was ruined. "O-Oh, wedding?" Remus stammered, sadness creeping in again. "Virgil, I-"

"Remus," Virgil said, cutting him off. "I'm trying to take your mind off the bad. Let's talk about something that'll make you happy, okay?"

"That's the thing," Remus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Logan told me that Deceit doesn't remember anything that happened while under the love potion. He doesn't even know that I proposed..." He said, his voice cracking a bit. "And why would he want to marry me, anyway? After all the stuff my brother did to him... and what if he actually believes those things? That I'm disgusting, that I'm stupid and morbid and-"

Virgil turned and hugged Remus tightly, surprising the Duke. He pulled away, doing his best to hide how awkward he must have felt that that had been. "Remus, Deceit LOVES you, probably more than life itself. This situation has been really hard on the two of you, so you'll be able to help one another heal. Marriage aside, has he ever done anything to suggest that he even slightly finds you gross?"

Remus shook his head, wiping his wet eyes. "I didn't think so," Virgil said with a grin, walking backward down the path back the way they'd come. "Don't worry about it anymore, okay, Ree? Let's go home now, alright?"

Virgil turned around, running straight into Roman, who had risen up suddenly on the path. The prince shoved Virgil to the ground, tossing some sort of smoke bomb with him. It burst, releasing a cloud of smoke that quickly had the side out cold.

Roman turned to Remus. "Where's Deceit?" He said casually, folding up his sleeves.

"You have no right to ask!" Remus growled, carefully watching his brother's movements. 

"Oh, but I think I do, considering he's in love with me," Roman smirked.

"Not for long! Pretty soon, Logan'll have fixed it, and then you'll pay for what you've done!"

Roman's hand went to rest on the hilt of his sword. "Logan, hmm? I think I'll visit him after I finish off with you!" 

Roman drew the sword and swung at Remus, narrowly missing him. Remus slid to the side, grabbing and twisting the blade from his brother's hand. Roman dropped the sword into Remus's hand but kicked out the Duke's knee, causing him to fall to the dirt. Roman retrieved the sword and quickly jabbed at Remus, who rolled out of the way.

Roman pinned him to the ground, with his foot. "This is so pathetic! You couldn't beat me at your best, are you really so stupid that you'll even try now?"

Remus struggled to breathe under Roman, his already petal-filled lungs slowly being crushed. "R-Roman... please... I'm your twin brother! You can't..."

Roman laughed. despicably. "It doesn't make a difference, brother mine. I'm still better than you."

"Roman, stop," came a voice, and Remus struggled to turn his head to see who it was. Roman lifted his weight from Remus but still kept him pinned carefully.

"I think that's quite enough, thank you. Knock him out please, and then bring him along. Leave Virgil here."

Remus's mind was searching and searching- the voice sounded so familiar, but who? Roman turned around his sword and slammed Remus's head with the hilt, and everything went black, silencing the thought.


	14. Who Do You Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to meet another Dark Side! Also, finally a 'lil Logicallity!

Deceit was tied to a stiff wooden chair. Patton had initially put him on the couch, but after the liar had to quickly managed an attempt to escape, Logan had taken away the right to comfort. And sitting there for the last six hours had been quite uncomfortable. Deceit had slipped between mindset's four times since this morning. Logan was becoming increasingly more distraught, as every time he thought he had a breakthrough, it was nothing but a dead end.

Logan slammed his hand down on his desk, pushing back his chair. "Who is it that you love?" He asked for the one-millionth time that day. He slid his hand through his hair with an exasperated sigh, grabbing his pen and notepad and waiting for Deceit's answer.

"Remus."

Logan smiled softly, seeming to lose some of his tension, and make a note on his paper. "Oh, you're you again. How are you, Deceit? Are you feeling any different?"

"Or maybe I love Roman... I am Deceit, you know. The embodiment of lies. Perhaps I am lying to you right now, hmm? Maybe I enjoy watching you suffer in vain, trying to 'fix' me when I'm perfectly content as I am."

Patton sighed. "Ugh. This is the Roman one then."

"What?" Deceit gasped with mock annoyance. "Why would you think such a thing? I'm insulted."

"No, you're not. Also, our Deceit wouldn't care about making me suffer, especially when Remus is dying." He emphasized the last few words, hoping to see a change. But there was none. 

Patton put a hand on Logan's shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, don't worry. You're trying your best."

"Thank you, Patton." A long, awkward silence followed this, Patton leaving his hand on Logan's shoulder a second too long, the two of them blushing.

Deceit rolled his eyes. "You two are deplorable."

"I beg your pardon?" Logan asked.

"Look at, you two! As somebody whose very purpose is to lie and deceive, the two of you do a terrible job."

Logan, still flushed, seemed to catch on to what Deceit was saying. "Don't listen to him, Patton; he seems to be speaking nonsense."

Deceit chuckled, seemingly preparing to give some dramatic speech. He attempted to blow a stray strand of hair out from in front of his eyes before going on speaking. It fell back into place. He tried again. It fell back into place. Patton came over and brushed it back. "Thank you, Morality. But as I was saying, you two are morons. Patton, can't you see how head over heels Logan is for you? He can't even make sense of his feelings, can he? It's hilarious."

The logical side sputtered. "Well, I hardly think that-"

"And as for you, Patton." He said, looking at the moral side, who gulped. "You love Logan so, so much, don't you? And it eats you up inside that he's so robotic, that he doesn't seem to reciprocate those feelings, with everything you do."

Patton shuddered, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "That's enough, Deceit!" He yelped, his voice cracking.

"What?" The liar said earnestly. "I'm just pointing out the obvious here. I can tell that you two feel the way Roman and I feel about each other."

"NO!" Patton yelled, with much more conviction, surprising the snake into silence. "Don't you ever compare the way that I feel to the way Roman and the Dragon Witch are tricking you into feeling!"

He turned to Logan, deeply flushed. "I- I... Logan...." he stumbled. "He's right. I am in love with you. I have been for a very long time."

Logan stood, facing Patton. He carefully took Patton's hands. "I share those feelings, Patton. I was worried that you didn't..."

"Aww, Logan!" Patton giggled. "That's adorable!"

This intimate moment was interrupted by Deceit, who had let out a shaky, quiet gasp. He slumped over, his eyes closed with a groan. After a moment, he looked up, bleary-eyed. "Oh no..." he mumbled, looking as if he had aged years just in the last few moments. "H-how long was I..."

"About an hour," Logan said, pulling his hands from Patton's. Deceit smiled softly, understanding what had happened, but saying nothing. "I'm afraid there are no updates. We've looked over spellbooks, but were unable to find anything. Before, it seemed as if it wore off over time. That doesn't seem to be the case now, however."

Deceit sighed, clearly exhausted. Then he perked up, a new idea catching in his mind. "Where's Remus? Is he okay? I need to see him; I need too-"

"Kiddo," Patton said kindly. "Remus is fine, Virgil's watching hi-"

The door burst open. Virgil was standing there, his clothes covered in dirt and his eyes wild. He was panting. "Remus is gone!"

"What the fuck?" Deceit muttered shakily, taking a long, slow blink. Everyone ignored him.

"Slow down, Virgil. Take a breath and tell us what happened," Logan insisted.

"So I was too lazy to make food, so Remus and I took a walk through his side of the mindscape, and on our way home Roman showed up, and he knocked me out, and when I woke up, Remus was gone!"

"Oh, God..." Deceit whispered, his eyes rimmed with tears. He felt a horrible, panicked guilt building in his chest. His breathing became labored, and he directed all his focus into not accidentally slipping back under the potion's control, but it was becoming more and more difficult. And still, he was ignored. 

"We need to find him then!" Patton said.

"I checked Roman's room on my way back; they weren't there. I have no idea where they could be!"

"You said you were in the imagination? Perhaps Roman took him to his castle."

Remy and Emile were summoned; they continued to debate... and Deceit struggled against his bindings. The angle he sat at made it impossible to extend his extra arms (Logan had made sure of that), and his efforts merely tore up his wrists. "Guys. Guys! Don't forget about me; I have to come with you! He- he needs me!" Deceit called to them. And yet, he was ignored.

Deceit stopped with a groan, wiping away his tears on his shoulder. Remus, his Remus, was probably so afraid and alone, at the very least. Deceit did his best to steer away from the thoughts of just what might be happening to him. In his dissociation, he did not realize that the others had all gone in search of Remus, leaving him completely alone. He cried softly, overcome with worry for Remus's safety, but knowing that if he had come along, it would be far more challenging to deal with had he fallen back under the potion's effects.

Two hands slamming down on his shoulders from behind jarred him. "So, who's bitch are you right now? Roman's or Remus's?" The person laughed, massaging the liar's shoulders with chilling nonchalance. "Who do you love, Deceit?""

"Wrath?" Deceit inquired, his voice fragile. The figure came around from behind him, dragging a chair and sitting across from him.

"Hi. Been a long time. Take a deep breath now, wouldn't want you hyperventilating. I take it you're the normal one?"

Deceit nodded, taking in the side in front of him.

Wrath had changed since Deceit had last seen him, which had been many months earlier. The side sported a black, dirty wife-beater tank top beneath his leather jacket. The jacket was the same as ever, a well-worn old thing with Orange accents that complimented his biker pants. He had glasses with a shattered lense propped carelessly in his greased back hair (Deceit knew that Wrath could hardly see without the glasses, but refrained from wearing them because they looked "nerdy"). But the centerpiece of his outfit was still his cowboy boots. What ugly things they were, and how much Wrath seemed to adore them! They were bright orange, not dissimilar to that of a new basketball.

The liar forced himself to appear more composed in front of the other dark side, who stared at him incredulously. It was apparent Wrath had had a planned speech for reuniting with Deceit that quickly went out the window when he saw the liar crying. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Deceit tried to shrug it off but instantly knew Wrath didn't believe him anyway. "You look good, Wrath. Has your life been going well?"

"HA! Liar. I'm the same, 'ccept the new pants since I last saw you. Remus has called me 'trailer trash' enough times, which means something coming from him." Wrath inspected his grimy nails, with some briefly visible self-consciousness. "But I'm not here to chat about the old days. I'm here about you and Remus."

"What about us?" Deceit spat. He had little faith that anything Wrath would have to say on the matter would be even remotely kind or helpful, and wished it to have a swift end.

"We're going to him," Wrath said flatly, snapping his fingers. The ropes fell away, and Deceit gasped. "The issue regarding the twins and you must be resolved for the good of Thomas. It was a lot of work, what with you possessing all of the dark side's collective five brain cells, but I have a plan."

Had Wrath just complimented him? Deceit wondered, massaging his wrists as he stood. "Don't give me that look," the side growled, grabbing his hand and pulling him along.

"Why are you helping me, Wrath? I thought you hated me- everyone who left."

Wrath mumbled something under his breath in response about it being for Thomas, essentially repeating what he had said moments before. It was frankly quite suspicious to Deceit that Wrath was helping him, and that he was only giving vague answers about what their plan was as they hurried onward towards the imagination.

Deceit would come to later blame his overwhelming hope for seeing Remus again that he did not know the situation he was so blindly walking straight into.


	15. Planning For A Murder Most Foul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, boy things are getting tense in here, ya'll. I'd write a longer summary, but my computer is at one percent and I really want to have time to get this up! (I'll probably be too lazy to come back and fix it later anyway, though, so enjoy)

Soon enough, the two dark sides were into the castle. Wrath made quite a show of sneaking past the NPC-like guards that patrolled the grounds of Roman's castle, but Deceit hardly noticed enough to care. His head was spinning, and he was exhausted from fighting the insatiable pull of the potion's effects. 

Deceit felt his mind going again, and this time he knew he wouldn't be able to resist. "Wrath..." he murmured, pinching his eyes shut as the angry side dragged him along.

"Shhhh!" Wrath hissed, pressing the two of them against the wall around a corner. "We're nearly there!"

Wrath suddenly jerked Deceit's arm, pulling him along again. Deceit hated this place. These brilliant floor-to-ceiling red drapes around the giant windows, the shiny black marble... he had been there a mere two days before, but the memories of what had happened since then picked him apart. The love potion, the dragon witch, and what Roman had done to him after... he could barely think of it.

His mind went hazier. "Wrath... It's happening again..." Deceit hummed before collapsing sideways into Wrath, who barely managed to catch him.

Wrath carefully sat him down against the wall, kneeling in front of him. Deceit was already coming too. It took the side aback to see Deceit's demeanor and expression so quickly change from scared and in pain to such a calloused, mischievous smirk. "Wrath," he purred. "I definitely hadn't missed you."

Wrath promptly dropped the act he had been so carefully holding for the ordinary Deceit. He hauled the side to his feet. "I'm surprised I was so easily able to lie to the other you, Deceit. Ugh, you should have seen him! So scared and lovesick over Remus, it was totally gross. And I wanted to rip his throat out so. Damn. BAD!"

The side reached in his pocket, pulling out brass knuckles. He punched the glass hard, but it was so thick it did not shatter as Wrath had hoped, rather, he left a web-like dent. He sighed heavily, massaging his hand. "I've missed you too, though," he said with more composure. 

"Well, thank you for not ripping his throat out as he is, unfortunately, still me." Deceit and Wrath began walking down the halls, side by side. "However, that shouldn't be for long. Roman says that it's his unwavering love for Remus that is overriding the potion. But if Remus dies..."

Wrath's eyes glowed with joy. "Ahh, I gotcha. That will be badass!" Now that Wrath wasn't fooling old-Deceit into thinking they were rescuing Remus, he paid no attention to the guards, who scrambled away as the dark sides passed. At the end of the foyer stood a large parlor, where Remus and Roman were in a shouting match.

"Why couldn't you let me have this!?" Remus shouted, from the place he was bound on the floor. "Just one good thing! Was it too much for your ego to handle that I was happy for the first time in my life!?" He broke off coughing, and Roman took the opportunity to retort.

"You don't deserve to be happy! You're disgusting and weak, and Thomas doesn't want creativity like you!" 

Roman turned and spotted Wrath and Deceit. "Deceit!" He called with a laugh, opening his arms. The smaller side laughed, jumping into them. Roman spun him around. "I was so worried about you!" Roman said, pressing a kiss on Deceit's neck at an angle so Remus could see.

Remus, who had hardly recovered from the bout of coughing he had suffered less than a moment before, choked, blood splashing onto his lips. Wrath took a seat on the windowsill, gazing out. "The others will be here soon; I see them crossing the gate. Roman, I expect you to handle your brother, and Deceit should it become necessary."

Roman nodded. It was time for things to start happening.

Remus gazed at Deceit, sweating and dirty. So much had happened this past week. Remus didn't understand why it had, but he prayed to see the end of it. Their eyes met—Remus's pleading, still full of hope for the man he loved. And Deceit's colder and crueler then ice. "Dee..." he murmured. "Please, love..."

Remus got no response. Deceit tore away from their exchange, instead wrapping his arm around Roman. "Give it a rest, brother. There's no stopping this. Just let it happen."

The dark creative side glanced in the direction of the window, where Wrath sat intently watching the others outside. "Wrath, why are you a part of this? Why did you help kidnap me? Why are you now?"

Wrath scoffed. "For the good of Thomas..." he said absentmindedly.

"Liar."

" 'Scuse me?" Wrath said, monotone, unable to comprehend that Remus had called him something. Few people were that brave. Or that stupid. Leave it to Remus to be both, he mused.

Remus cleared his throat a little, trying to prevent himself from coughing too much more. "I said you're a liar. And a bad one. What do you want with Deceit and me? Or is it more than that? You don't care about Roman's feelings, do you?"

"Of course, he does!" Roman glowed, giggling with the narcissistic confidence Remus had grown to hate and fear immensely. "That's why he approached me in the first place. He told me all about how I deserved the world and opened my eyes to the fact that it was you who were in my way! And what better way to get rid of you then to tear your heart to pieces!"

Remus shuddered, trying to wrap his head around this. Meanwhile, Wrath was scowling at Roman. "I told you we wouldn't be discussing this, Princey," he spat.

"You... you did this to me? To us?" Remus choked. "I thought we were friends, Wrath. Why?"

"I thought we were too!" Wrath shouted, folding his arms. "But then you, Deceit, Virgil, Sloth- all the dark sides left me behind! I can't allow it!" His voice cracked a little. He spun back to the window, hoping that Remus would not spot the tears cascading down his cheeks that he wiped messily on his sleave.

"So now you die."


	16. Angry Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I just wanted to leave a trigger warning here, there is some discussion of attempted suicide in this and the next 2 chapters. It's not graphic, but I know how this affects people. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter though!

Remy, Emile, Virgil, Logan, and Patton crept down the corridors of the castle, searching for Remus to the best of their abilities without being spotted by the guards, which was, needless to say, exhaustive.

Patton linked his arm in Logan's, who blushed but was clearly trying to stay focused. "Logan?"

"Yes, Patton?" He whispered, pulling Patton and himself behind a bookshelf as two guards passed.

"What are we going to do about Roman? When we get Remus back, and he and Deceit are okay..."

"Thomas will have to come to that decision," he said quickly, trying to mask the fact that he didn't know. Remy, Emile, and Virgil came out from their hiding places, looking defeated.

Logan was pulled from his thoughts by a noise. A scuffling and voices in the hallway. They stood in the dark room and watched what was unfolding in the hall. A scruffy, punk cowboy Logan recognized to be Wrath was... running like hell from around the corner, chased by guards? "You'll never catch me, bitches!" He whooped as he ran backward for a few seconds, punching the air in success.

He slipped into the room the sides were watching from as the guards ran by, seemingly oblivious to the fact that others were sharing his hiding place. Wrath panted, not yet looking around. "Ugh, I'm out of shape..." he murmured, leaning over as he caught his breath.

Patton squeaked as Remy and Virgil grabbed Wrath by his jacket and pushed him up against the wall. "Hey! Guys don't-" He began, but Remy was speaking over him.

"What are you doing here, you filthy rat?" Remy growled.

"Mind your blood pressure, dear," Emile mumbled, fixing his glasses. 

Wrath looked between the two of them, his expression melting into a slightly worried smile. "Paranoia, Sloth, my old friends! It's so good to see you again! Can you, uhm, let me go please?"

"Sloth?" Emile echoed, and Remy paled. 

"Oh my, is this your new boyfriend?" Wrath said, grinning. "So great to meet ya. I'm Wrath, his ex."

Remy pulled away, looking between Wrath and Emile. His sunglasses may have covered his expression, but they could all see Remy's horror. "Emile," he finally choked out. "I'm so sorry babes, I should've told you, I just didn't want you to have a bad impression of me right off the bat, and-"

Emile smiled, walking gracefully over and pressing a finger to Remy's lips, pulling him close with his other arm. "Sweetie, I'm not upset with you! That's some very personal information I can tell you're not proud of. It's all okay! I hope you know that nothing you've done will make me love you less."

Emile pulled Remy into a kiss, and Virgil could sense the tension and fear leaving him behind. He turned back to Wrath, who was still pinned against the wall, his lips pressed together with fury he was seemingly working to repress. Wrath swallowed hard. "Well. Isn't this just peachy? I guess I'm happy for you, Sloth, you seem to be in a lot healthier of a relationship now. Now, could you please let me down so that we might have a conversation like adults?"

Logan pushed up his glasses, impressed. "That was very big of you, Wrath. Virgil, why don't you let him down?"

"I don't trust him," the anxious side said flatly. "He's a cheat and a liar, and he plays with people's feelings!"

"I'm going to go ahead and assume," Wrath said, adjusting himself under Virgil's strong arms. "that you're after Remus and Roman? Well, so was I. But I got caught, and that's how I ended up in here."

"Why would you want to help Remus?" Remy asked, his arm still wrapped around Emile.

"Because he was my friend!" Wrath spat. "And I don't want him suffering as I did!" The orange-clad side sighed, looking at all of them. After a moment, he managed to speak again, but this time, his voice had a softness to it that surprised them all. "All of them were my friends. Remus, Deceit, you two," he said, glancing between Virgil and Remy.

Wrath looked down at his feet. "But... when ya'll started leaving... being accepted by Thomas, running off and stuff, I was so, so alone. I was in a real bad place. I didn't see the point of going on like this." Virgil quickly set him down when he noticed Wrath's eyes were hot with tears. "I had tried to... to kill myself last fall."

Virgil's chest fell, and he felt immediate guilt building in him for distrusting Wrath, for forcing him to reveal information like this. "Wrath, I'm so sorry-"

Patton gasped. He pulled away from Logan, walking carefully toward Wrath. "Oh, you poor kiddo! May I hug you?"

Wrath nodded, and Patton wrapped him in a hug. Wrath did not let himself sob into the moral side's arms. But Patton could feel that he wanted too. "I was just so angry all the time! I blamed myself for every one leaving. But then I saw how happy everyone was... I just wanted to make sure it stayed that way for Remus and Deceit." His breath hitched as Patton mumbled quiet encouragement into his ear.

Finally, Wrath pulled away, wiping his face on his sleeve. "But this isn't about me," he said, clearing his throat. "We need to get to Remus. I saw him, a ways down the hall in the parlor with Roman. Come on."

Logan stuck his head into the hallway and waved that the coast was clear. Wrath lead the procession, and Virgil and Remy moved to catch up with him. "Wrath," Remy said, pushing his sunglasses up on his forehead. "If you need to talk, we're here for you."

"We never meant for you feel so alone. I am so, so sorry." Virgil added.

Wrath sniffled, his face contorting briefly into a sad smile. "I just wish I'd known that before," he murmured, and the two saw a splash of regret in Wrath's dull, coppery eyes. "But it doesn't matter now. I've got some new friends. We're almost there, come on!" He waved and took off in a sprint down the hall and into the parlor, disappearing around the corner, not giving Remy and Virgil a chance to ask who he was referring to.

"I found him! Come on, ya'll! There's nobody else here!" Remy and Virgil took off after him, Logan, Patton, and Emile right on their heels.

For a brief moment, they spotted Remus, who was bound and gagged against one of the pillars that made the castle's foundation. He was shouting through the gag, his eyes large with fear. Virgil felt a cold blade against his throat and looked to see Roman, who wore a twisted grin. More guards came out of seemingly nowhere, quickly overtaking the other sides.

Virgil tore himself away from the prince's gaze, looking back and spotting Wrath, who was sitting comfortably on the sofa next to Deceit, his ugly orange boots displayed on the coffee table. It was all a trap.

"Hello, Virgil. So nice of you to drop by!" Roman said. Virgil, overcome by rage, shoved Roman's sword away, pushed past the side, and stormed over to Wrath.

"You treacherous son of a bitch!" He shouted, slapping Wrath hard on the face. Wrath spun to smack him back, but Deceit stepped between them, carefully gripping Virgil and Wrath's arms. 

Things were not looking good for anyone.


	17. No Strings On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I dunno what to say here. Ya'll know me by now, I'm not much for descriptive summaries. (:

"Woah, Woah, Woah, let's lot get over-upset." Deceit chastised.

"He lied to us about attempting suicide, so we'd pity him!" Virgil shouted. "Do you know how sick and twisted that is!?"

Deceit looked to Wrath, his gaze knowing. Wrath rolled his eyes. "I wasn't lying about that! When ya'll left, it broke me!" His voice cracked.

Two guards came over and hauled Virgil away from the other dark sides. "The world got so fucking dark, Virgil. I hated myself. I hated all of you. I believed it was my fault that the was a schism with the dark sides. And I got sick, like Remus. I had Hana- hanu-"

"Hanahaki," Roman helped.

"Yes, that. Over you, Sloth." Remy looked sick at the new information. "And one day, 'cause I didn't want to cough myself to death, I went and tried to jump off the roof of Roman's castle. Course, good old Princey saw and stopped me. He cut the plant out for me!" Wrath pulled down on the collar of his tank top, showing off a long pink scar. Logan gasped, eyeing Roman with some awe. The creative side did such a delicate procedure? What a concept.

"Roman saved my life, and for that, I'm grateful. I was able to focus on something else. Why was I letting myself suffer because of you? Why do ya'll deserve to be happy when I was left to ROT ON THE DARK SIDE?!" He shouted. Wrath took a deep breath, sliding his fingers through his greasy hair. He smiled, his eyes wide and chaotic. The angry side clasped his hands together.

"Wrath and I agreed. I help him get rid of the dark sides, starting with the two who had the most to lose! My brother and the snake." Roman turned to Remus, and with a smirk, he slid his hands around Deceit's waist. "Originally, I had planned to destroy their relationship, kill Remus, and Deceit would be mine. The dragon witch assisted me; I promised them Remus's kingdom when all was said and done."

"But then Remus got sick, and the potion stopped working. The Dragon Witch told Roman that when love is strong enough, it can work against the effects of the potion. However, if the one on the potion kills their lover, things should clear right up!" Wrath giggled. "And if not, well, it'll still be hella fun to watch!" Wrath walked toward Remus, untying him. 

Roman nodded, "we've decided to have a little demonstration. So that the rest of you sides won't try and stand in our way..." Remus scampered to his feet, where he stood wobbling—struggling for breath. Logan could see that Remus didn't have very long. Meanwhile, Roman drew his sword, handing it to Deceit. "You know what to do, my love."

Deceit smirked, nodding, and strolled toward Remus, who stood defenseless. Patton shrieked. "Deceit no! You can't! He's the love of your life!" Roman signaled for the guard holding Patton to quiet him, which he did with a chainmail clad glove over the moral side's mouth.

"Dee..." Remus said and began coughing. He hunched over, blood splattering over his hands. Deceit extended the sword so that the tip would press against Remus's rib cage. "Deceit, please..." he choked, falling to his knees, gasping.

Deceit shuddered, stumbling forward before catching himself. "R-Remus? Oh my god- what's going on?"

"He's switched again!" Wrath shouted. "Deceit, kill him already!"

"What? Why would I kill him?"

Roman stepped forward. "Finish the job, Deceit. You don't love him!"

"You're lying..." Deceit stuttered, but he raised his free hand, gripping his hair, his eyes full of fear and confusion. He didn't know the truth. He was afraid to see it.

"Deceit!"

"Deceit!"

"Deceit!"

The liar's head was throbbing horribly. He didn't understand what was happening. Everyone was shouting, the light sides, the dark sides... it was all so loud. Why was he holding a sword? Why did Wrath and Roman want him to kill Remus? His vision was flashing, he felt the pushing and pulling of the potion; it felt like he was on a sailboat in a violent storm, being tossed to and fro. He didn't know what to do; his emotions were doing a thousand miles an hour.

"Dee," Remus's voice cut threw the noise, startling the snake-side. "It's okay. I love you. You don't have to be afraid. Just do what feels right. And if that's killing me..." he trailed off, his bloody lips curling into a soft smile. "Than it's been a hell of a ride." Remus stood on his knees in front of Deceit. Waiting.

It became clear to Deceit that Remus had already made up his mind about what he thought was going to happen. Wrath, Roman, everyone in the room seemed to have decided what was going to happen. That Deceit was going to drive that blade through Remus's heart. Deceit gripped the sword with both hands, staring at the gleam of the blade. His mind quieted, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't fighting the will of the love potion. Deceit had made his mind up about how he wanted his life to go.

He glanced at the prince who stood at his side, urging him to kill Remus. And then to Wrath, who was waiting impatiently, his eyes full of hatred. Deceit thought about everything that had happened the past few days, or at least what he could remember. 

Deceit took a long, deep breath. His snake eye glowed a brilliant yellow. "I am done being everyone's fucking puppet!" He shouted and spun, driving his blade through Wrath's stomach with the ease of slicing butter.


	18. If You Love Me Let Me Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jeez, I've had a way to much time to write, what with school being canceled due to the virus. Anyway, here's a new chapter!
> 
> (side note here, I am not sympathizing with Roman's actions here or trying to cut Wrath and him some slack. This chapter is more about their remorse, and why they did what they did. You still have every right to be totally pissed with them.)

The breeze blew through Wrath's messy hair, and he felt the crunch of leaves beneath his boots. The chill didn't bother Wrath; he was far to numb for that. He had been for quite some time, and as he strolled through the woods that blustery October evening, the sunset off beyond the barren trees, he felt a calm wash over his turmoil filled heart.

He had walked a long time, unsure of where he was going. He had hoped the fresh air of the imagination would clear some of the burning anger from his mind, but instead, he found himself standing in front of Prince Roman's castle. Wrath didn't think. He walked around the side of the building, lurking out of sight of the few guards that were on duty, and using the ivy as a ladder, he scaled the castle wall. Wrath lost his footing only a few times, but he never fell. It helped that he was so light- he had always been one of the shortest sides, second only to Deceit, and he hadn't eaten a good meal in days, if not longer.

He reached the roof of the building and stared out at the imagination. The sun had set, and the moon was rising, vast and full, the light coming from it, giving Wrath's tan complexion a waxy, doll-like appearance. Wrath sighed, looking out at the world. He was so tired of it all.

When had everything gone wrong? What had he done wrong? There was Sloth- who was bubbly, sarcastic, and handsome. One of his many mistakes. Wrath could lie to himself all he wanted- claim that this stupid Hanahaki disease wasn't because of Sloth. He could pretend he was okay, that it didn't burn him up that he didn't even know his love's real name. That Sloth had left him and was now going by the name 'Sleep,' which was so much less daunting.

Then there were Deceit, Paranoia, and Remus. They had all split away, Paranoia now donning the name 'Anxiety' and camping it out with the Light Sides- as if he could ever be one of them. And Deceit and Remus, who loved each other more than life itself, who had gone off to hatch their schemes of "helping" Thomas.

It was all his fault, Wrath thought. He should've tried harder, been less selfless, made the other's happy... and now he was alone. Forgotten. Left behind. And he deserved every damn minute of it. There was a voice behind him; somebody was calling him. Wrath paid it no mind. It didn't matter; soon enough, he'd be free of worries like this. Wrath's body shook with a bout of coughing. He was going to die, either way, it seemed. It was these stupid flower petals or the ground below.

Wrath stepped up on the ledge, took a deep breath, and jumped without thinking anymore. Strong arms yanked him back onto the rooftop, and he tripped, tumbling with this person to the flat roof. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, are you okay?!" The person asked, and Wrath pulled away to see Prince Roman Creativity Sanders himself, sitting breathlessly and upset beside him.

"That was rude, you know. I was in the middle of something."

Roman sputtered. "You were about to jump off the roof!"

"Yes, yes, I was. Now if you'll excuse me-"

Roman grabbed him. "No! You can't just get back to it!"

"Watch me!" Wrath shouted, yanking away from Roman and dusting himself off.

"Please, please reconsider," the creative side asked, his eyes wide and pleading in a way Wrath recognized from experience with Remus. "Why don't we just talk, okay? Let's just take a deep breath, sit down, and have a nice talk."

Wrath wasn't sure why he had agreed. It was nice, he supposed, to have somebody in his life, for however briefly, who cared about his feelings. And so Wrath had sat with Roman, gazing out at the stars as Wrath told every gritty detail that haunted him to the side he hardly knew. "I just... I just want to die," he said at last and didn't speak again, instead cascading into a plethora of tears.

Roman had held him. "I know what you mean. To go through life being second rate, cast out."

"How can you possibly know how that feels!? You're creativity! The Light Sides all seem to love you, Thomas cares and even knows you exist," Wrath broke off as Roman shook his head, signaling that the side had misunderstood. 

"My brother is loved unconditionally. You could have a thousand friends, but having one person who genuinely cares about you is better, don't you think?"

Wrath grimaced, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't know, as apparently, I've never had either. But yeah, Remus doesn't deserve it, if that's what you're hoping I'd say."

Roman sighed, clearly exasperated but pleased. He rubbed the back of his neck. "What I'm saying is, why don't we team up? You want revenge, I want recognition, and we both want to get rid of my brother-"

"I want to get rid of all the old dark sides, not just Remus," Wrath corrected. "But go on."

"-So let's work together for it, hmm? It'll be a hell of a lot easier that way."

And like that, Wrath and Roman had become the best of friends, without genuinely meaning to. It had started out as more of a 'mutual goals' partnership, but as time went on, they had both come to see that their personalities matched perfectly- sometimes a little too perfectly.

Roman, with the assistance of the Dragon Witch, had managed to cut the Hanahaki disease from Wrath's lungs. It had been a lengthy, painful procedure, but when it was done, he didn't feel anything. No longing in his heart for Sloth, no pain. It was wonderfully freeing.

He had a new chance at life in that moment. If only he had realised that then, and not when he was impaled on a blade at the hands of one of his oldest friends.

______________________________________________________

Wrath's mind snapped back to the present. Deceit stood in front of him; his hands wrapped shakily around the sword that had impaled Wrath's chest. Wrath's mouth opened in a silent scream as he looked between the sword and Roman. Wrath held his stomach where the blade was lodged, afraid to remove it. Deceit let him free, instead choosing to turn and tend to Remus. The angry side stumbled back. He didn't feel any pain yet. He was in shock; he heard Logan mutter from across the room.

"Oh... you've made up your mind..." Wrath hissed, looking down at the blade. His hands were covered in his own blood, but he tried not to think much of it. He had been awake during Roman's surgery on his lungs, for cryin' out loud! But this... this was different.

The guards, who only existed as Roman imagined them too, faded into dust, leaving the other sides free. Roman was too focused on Wrath. He extended his hands, reaching out carefully towards Wrath, but the angry side yanked himself away, furious. "Don't touch me, damn it! Roman, you're getting distracted! Round up the light sides and- fuuuck..." he trailed off, the pain rocketing through Wrath's side suddenly.

"You're seriously injured!"

"So?!"

Roman's expression grew heavy, his eyes sad. He glanced around, and Wrath watched the revenge and burning jealousy melt away from the Prince's eyes. Patton, Emile, and Deceit were al crowded around Remus, while Virgil, Logan, and Remy stood incredulously regarding Wrath's resistance. "So it's over, Nero," Roman said softly, taking a step towards Wrath. The side flinched, frustration bubbling inside him at the sound of his name. "It's time to stop fighting."

"S-stop?! You want me to stop? But we were so close, Ro! Come on; we can still..." Wrath gasped in pain as blood dripped through his fingers, tears welling up in his eyes. Tears of panic, tears of anger, tears of pain, he wasn't quite sure. Roman shook his head, finally wrapping his strong arms around Wrath.

Wrath's knees gave out, and Roman was quickly able to hold his friend. He lowered him carefully to the stone floor, partially so his blood wouldn't stain Roman's orient-style carpets. The side felt dizzy, but he managed to grab Roman's wrists, who was trying to asses and apply first aid. "What are you-"

"Stop it, Roman. I don't want you to- to try and fix me."

Roman's brow furrowed. He didn't take kindly to being told 'no' or to 'stop,' as the past had proven. "Nero, if I don't clean you up, you're going to die!"

"Maybe I want to!" Wrath shouted, but his voice was broken, and it hurt to speak so loudly. "Just leave me alone... this whole thing was stupid. I should've jumped off that roof when I had the chance, instead of trying to compensate for my crappy feelings by taking it out on them..." Wrath turned his head, glancing at Remus, who had his arms wrapped tightly around Deceit, both of them crying.

"Don't you dare say that!" Roman cried, his eyes tearing up, and he tried to pull his wrists away from Wrath's slowly slackening grip. "You can't do this to me!"

"You're so fucking selfish," Wrath hissed, but he giggled, the blood loss slowly making him loopy. "It's all okay, man. You'll be fine..."

"Not without you..." Roman whined, blushing when he realized what he had just said.

"Aww..." Wrath chuckled. He seemed to want to say more but was unable, instead wincing as the blade moved a little. 

Roman jumped as a hand came down on his shoulder. "Roman," came Logan's voice, harsh and cold, but nonetheless professional. "If he is to live, you need to step back so we can treat him. Clearly, he is unwilling to deal with you."

"What, and he'll 'deal' with you guys?" Roman scoffed, but a warning look from Virgil melted Roman's sense of pride. Wrath desperately clung to Roman, murmuring pleads for him not to leave, but the Prince stood up, pulling away and moving to sit on the sofa.

"Nero," Logan said, kneeling down next to the side. "Don't make this difficult. You have to face what you've done; death is not a suitable cop-out."

"Don't you dare call me that!" Wrath hissed. "Only he can call me that!" Wrath tilted his head, gesturing in the direction of Roman.

"Oh, there are a lot of things I'd like to call you right now, Wrath," Virgil sneered and took Wrath's hands, tightly restraining them so that Logan could work without interference. At first, he cried and moaned, begging them to leave him alone, but as time went on, he stopped. It was no use. It seemed he was going to survive this, whether he liked it or not.

Roman watched Wrath nervously from the couch; his attention so focused he didn't notice when Patton came and sat beside him. "Roman," Patton acknowledged, his voice firm but concerned. "We need to talk about all of this."

"I... I know, Padre. I know."

"But, I'm sure Thomas will want to be a part of it, so I'll hold off from what I have to say to you now."

Roman gulped. He knew he deserved every ounce of Patton's disapproval, but it still stung. He sat silently for a while, his sleeves, which were going to be forever stained with Wrath's blood, wrapped delicately around his knees. "I'm sorry," he finally choked out, burying his face in his knees.

Patton sighed, pushing his glasses up. "It's not me you should be apologizing too, kiddo. But for now, I guess this is a start."


	19. Tough Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas finally has to deal with Roman and Nero, but everybody has pretty different ideas of what should happen.

Deceit did not pay attention to what was taking place between Roman and Wrath. His focus was drawn to Remus. Deceit dropped to his knees, so he was at the same height as the creative side. "Hey, are you okay?" Deceit asked, a little winded from the inner turmoil he had just gone through.

"Yeah, now that you're here," Remus sighed. Deceit wrapped Remus tightly in a hug, which the duke melted into.

"I never want to let you go, Remus. I love you so much," said Deceit, his eyes wet.

"I love you too, snakey. And you don't have to let me go." And just like that, he felt the petals in his lungs dissipate. It was all over. They had won. Emile and Patton hung near them, whispering to one another about how cute it was.

"I'm so glad this is over," Patton said with a sigh.

"Well, not quite. I betcha we'll be dealing with repercussions from this for a long time." Emile shrugged, "but yeah. I guess everything can start getting better." The two sides looked over at Roman, who had been shooed away from Wrath. Roman was anxiously watching Wrath, clearly troubled by every unpleasant groan or whine that came from the injured side's lips as Logan, Remy, and Virgil worked to address his wound.

"It's weird, don't you think? Wrath did all of this because his unrequited love for Remy and loneliness had hurt him so badly. Roman targeted Deceit because he wanted to shove it in his brother's face. But... look at him," Patton said, waving in Roman's direction. "He totally loves Wrath. They could've been so happy and cute together. Why all of this?"

Emile pushed up his glasses, hanging his thumbs in his belt loops. It was always lovely to talk to Patton, who seemed to understand emotions so well. "I dunno. I think that hatred and fear blinded them both. Maybe we'll learn more about it when we get them to talk to Thomas, maybe not."

Patton nodded and went to sit by Roman. He wanted to say something to his kiddo. You're supposed to love your children still when they mess up, aren't you? To teach them to help them see the error of their ways so they might learn and grow? But this, what he had done to poor Deceit and Remus...

"I'm sorry," Roman had said, unable to make eye contact. A start, the father figure decided. It was a start.

__________________________________________________

Wrath was out for about two weeks before Logan had managed to heel him well enough to walk a bit, and finally meet with Thomas. Wrath had hardly said a word the whole time, but anyone who saw him spotted the pain and thoughtfulness behind his eyes. Virgil had told Thomas everything that had happened, but now it was time. They needed to discuss what had happened and decide how to go about moving on.

They convened in the living room, all of them. Virgil sat on the stairs, per usual. Emile and Remy sat on barstools where Logan typically stood, and Patton and Logan sat on the couch. Remus and Deceit sat on the floor near Remy and Emile, Remus's arm draped comfortably over the liar's shoulder.

Roman and Wrath sat on a small loveseat that had been summoned in front of the window. Thomas came through the front door. "Holy- wait, we were doing this today?" Thomas exclaimed, looking around the room, his eyes settling on Wrath, who was afraid quite to meet Thomas's gaze.

"I did tell you," Logan grumbled with a sigh. "You know what, it doesn't matter. Thomas, take a seat."

The man took a seat beside Logan and Patton on the couch. "So... you're my Wrathful side?" He asked awkwardly.

Wrath stared intently at his hands, which were clasped knuckle white in his lap. "Uhh, yeah, I am. My name's Nero."

Thomas looked a little surprised to get his name so quickly but did not comment. "I have to admit; I don't know what to say. Roman, I couldn't believe you'd done this. And Nero, I wish we could've met under different circumstances."

"Yes, but here we are, Thomas," Deceit said firmly, his eyes fixed on his host. "Things have happened. And we need to discuss what is going to happen to Wrath and Roman."

"What do you mean, what's 'going to happen' to them? You want to punish them?" Thomas asked.

Deceit scoffed, his human cheek rosy-ing. "Is that not a just desire? After everything that's happened, is it wrong of me to want justice?"

The room grew uncomfortable. They all knew very well why Deceit was upset, why his voice was so full of malice. Logan knew it would be challenging to convince Deceit of what he thought was the most logical resolution, what with how emotionally tied he was to this situation. But he would try, regardless.

"Deceit, what Roman and Nero have done was disgusting and wrong, that is not up for debate," Logan looked around the room. Everyone nodded in agreement. "But you understand that Thomas wouldn't be able to function properly without them."

"I suppose..." Deceit said, nodding slowly.

"And banishment, to say, the imagination would likely lead to a repetition of previous suicidal ideation," Logan said.

Deceit deflated. "So you're telling me you want to let them go? Logic, you can't! I can't even... I can't even look at Roman," he stuttered, his voice a harsh whisper.

"Dee, sweetheart," Remus began, rubbing his boyfriend's shoulders. He could tell that Deceit was going to lose it sooner or later.

"No!" He shouted and pushed himself to his feet. He spun to face Thomas. "Listen, I need you all to stop dancing around the fact that Roman fucking sexually abused me! Nero nearly murdered Remus!"

The room fell hushed for a moment, everyone looking avoiding looking at Deceit. "We're not dancing around it, kiddo," Patton said finally. "We're just trying to make the decision that's best for Thomas..."

"Yeah, and keeping them around is not it!" Deceit shouted.

Suddenly, Remus was up next to him, holding him delicately. "Why don't you and I step out for a second, okay, Dee? You're really worked up over this, and we can't get anything done if you're this upset."

Deceit didn't like this response. He spun towards his boyfriend, eye's blazing. "Worked up?! Don't you lecture me about being worked up! Why don't you care, Remus?! This whole time you've been trying to quiet me down. Does none of this bother you!?"

The rest of the room stirred awkwardly as they listened to the couple fight. "Oh, you think I don't care?! Do you think I haven't constantly been fighting the urge to go and bash my brother's head in with my mace? To strangle Wrath to death? I've been trying to be composed because I know we can't get anywhere like this! Can't you see we're trying here?!" Roman and Nero shrunk a little on the couch.

Suddenly, Emile's eye's lit up, and he jumped to his feet. He walked over, putting a hand on both their shoulders. "Guys, guys. You really need to step out; Nero's presence here, and his link to your current emotions are breeding your feelings of hostility. You wouldn't want to say something you regret, now would you?"

The two of them fell silent. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean too, I hadn't even realized I was doing it-" Nero sputtered, his face red with embarrassment.

"Oh, I know it's not intentional, Nero. You just sit tight, mkay?" Which, by Emile Picani standards, was essentially telling him to shut the hell up.

Deceit huffed. "Fine. Just please make a good decision here, Thomas. I'm counting on you." He sunk out, Remus a second behind him.

"There," Picani said, clasping his hands together. "Now, because feelings are kinda my thing, I think I'll take it from here, okay, Logan?" Logan began to protest. "Oh, I'm not saying you did anything wrong! But it seems you weren't being very respective of Deceit's feelings, were you?"

Nobody spoke to stop Emile, so he continued. "I think the best course of action would be to hear what Roman and Nero have to say, don't you?"

The two exchanged looks, clearly unsure. "Go on," Thomas said, urging them along. "What do you have to say?"

It was Nero who spoke first. "I'm willing to accept any punishment. I deserve it. But to be honest, why won't you let me just die? What I did was awful, and it could've really hurt you, Thomas. If you let me, I'll just go. Never bother any of you again. You seemed better off like that before."

Roman's shoulders sagged. "Nero, you have to stop thinking like that, please! You shouldn't die, or even want to," He bit his lip, struggling for words. "I've had a bit of a revelation. I manipulated you."

The angry side's expression turned into a puzzled frown. Roman continued. "When we met, you were hurting and alone. And I pretended that chasing my own selfish, narcissistic agenda would help you. I should've taken care of you, shown you that you mattered when you needed that. I got so obsessed with getting what my brother had that I missed the fact that I already had what I needed. You."

Nero was stalk still, shocked by the confession. "Maybe if I had realized sooner, we wouldn't be here. I apologize to all of you, Remus and Deceit, especially. But, to you too, Nero," Roman finally finished.

Everyone slowly looked back to Emile, who sighed. "Were this the real world, the charges would range from sexual battery to kidnapping to attempted murder. I think you're both aware of the gravity of what you've done," Emile pushed up his glasses. Sighing deeply, he turned to Thomas.

"I would suggest so that as Logan pointed out their effect on Thomas doesn't waver, and their fragile mental health isn't disturbed further, that the two of them accept their punishment together. Confined to Roman's side of the imagination, and not allowed to leave without being specifically summoned by Thomas himself. That, along with the restraint of their powers, of course."

Everyone looked to Thomas, who rubbed his temples uncomfortably, staring at his lap. Virgil hopped up from his spot on the stairs, walking over to Thomas and putting a hand on his host's shoulder. "Look, Thomas, this isn't supposed to be an easy decision. Nothing about this is good. But you know we'll support whatever decision you make, whether it's Logan's idea, Emile's or even whatever Deceit had in mind. It'll be alright."

Thomas looked up, frowning as he made eye contact with Roman. "I guess Emile's suggestion." He stood up, walking away. How was he supposed to deal with this? These were his sides, and they had done such horrible things! What did that say about him? Thomas went outside, where he found Remus sitting on the step.

"Hey, Thomathy," Remus said with a smile, but he looked spent. "How'd it go?"

"They're gonna be stuck in Roman's side of the imagination together, no powers, and can only show up when I summon them," Thomas said, taking a seat next to Remus.

Remus sighed, tilting his head. "I guess that's good. I don't think Deceit'll like it, though."

Thomas crossed his arms, his brow furrowing in concern. "What would he want? I tried to make the right decision, and no matter what I do, I feel like I made the wrong choice!" 

Remus shrugged. "I don't think he quite knows, to be honest. He doesn't even know what all Roman did to him, and I think that scares him the most." Remus summoned a ring box, staring at it in quiet focus. "I want to marry him. But... now I'm worried he won't. I keep thinking that I'll say or do something that'll remind him of my brother, or that..." he trailed off, flicking his wrist and the box disappeared. "And everything my brother said... do I even deserve him?"

Thomas looked thoughtfully at the dark creative side. "Remus, you know Roman was just trying to get to your head."

Remus stood up and helped Thomas to his feet. "Mmm, well, it kinda worked. Now, you should get back in there. I can hear Slot- I mean, Remy, looking for you. And I need to go talk to Dee; hopefully, he's cooled off a bit."

He sunk, leaving Thomas alone. With a heavy feeling in his chest, he climbed the steps back into his apartment.


	20. Bloody Solutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!!
> 
> This is a particularly graphicly gory chapter, with descriptions of self-harm.

Deceit couldn't breathe, his head was spinning horribly. He'd screwed everything up. Why had he yelled at Remus? It wasn't his fault, none of this was. Deceit leaned over the sink in his bathroom, gasping for air and feeling like he was going to vomit. "You've screwed everything up," he murmured, splashing water in his face. It didn't help. "And he'll want to leave you. Why wouldn't he? You slept with his brother."

"I didn't want too!" Deceit shouted at his reflection, his voice breaking off into a sob. "I never wanted too."

"And of course, that's not even mentioning the fact that you look so hideous. Scales, how disgusting. Even with his love of the macabre, Remus has to draw the line somewhere. And you just yelled at him. How could he possibly love you now!?"

Deceit sunk to the floor, unable to take a stable breath. There was this horrible pain, a ruckus in his brain, a panic that only grew. He needed to get rid of some of this tension; it was too much to bear. Shakily, he summoned a blade, a small but very sharp one that had intricate snake designs carved into the handle. 

This had become a horrible norm for the liar in the two weeks since the potion had stopped affecting him. He would get short flashes of memory, and the things he saw... it was too much to handle. Rolling up his sleeves, Deceit winced, drawing the knife across his forearms and watched with regretted fascination as ribbons of red appeared. Some of the dizzying burning in his head and lungs went away, and he found himself left with a repulsed nausea. The pain was grounding, but overwhelming guilt and disgust took over. The liar let himself melt into crying again. "I'm such a fucking monster," Deceit murmured, choking on his tears.

There was a knock on his door that sent a new wave of panic over Deceit. "Hey Dee, can we talk?"

It was Remus. Oh, God, it was Remus. He'll be so upset, so angry. "N-no," he said, hoping he had managed to stifle his tears enough that Remus wouldn't detect the falsehood. "Please go away, Remus."

There was a second of silence. "Please, baby, I'm sorry if I upset you in the living room! I don't wanna fight anymore. We've spent enough time apart."

A breathy sob escaped Deceit. "I can't face you right now."

He heard Remus sigh, and he could practically picture the crestfallen expression on the duke's face. "O-oh..." Remus murmured, shuffling outside the door. "Well, I'm really sorry. I hope that we can talk when you're ready, Dee."

Deceit heard him begin to walk away from the door, and in a split-second decision, he called out. "Wait! R-Remus, I'm not... I'm not mad at you. I was afraid you were mad at me."

Remus came back to the door. "Baby, I'm not mad! You had every right to feel upset about that. Why don't you come out? You know I love you. I just wanna be with you."

Deceit stared at his wrists, his body wrenching with sobs. "But... if you saw what I d-did, you'll hate me..." Blood had dripped from his wrists and onto the gritty fake tile floor.

Remus let loose a small gasp. "Dee, I could never hate you! You're the love of my life; I was sick at the thought of you with somebody else! I just want to take care of you." Deceit pushed himself off the floor shakily, and reached forward, unlocking the door. He pushed it open, finally facing the duke.

Remus stood still, his eyes wide with concern when he saw Deceit's tear-stained face. Deceit cringed as Remus's expression shifted to alarm, his eyes resting on the liar's wrists. "Oh god," Remus said, his hand covering his alarmed mouth. Deceit watched as Remus gagged, briefly looking away. He swallowed dryly, turning back to Deceit with his eyes wet. "Oh, baby, no, no, no..."

Remus reached out. "Come here; I need to clean up your wounds-"

"No! Don't-Don't touch me!" Deceit screamed, flinching away from Remus's desperate touch. Deceit's eyes were wild, his breathing fast and shallow, his whole body trembling in uncontrollable fear. Remus startled but persisted.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Remus said, gently taking Deceit by the hand and holding it firmly. Their eyes met. "Listen to me. You're safe, and they aren't going to hurt you again. I'm here now. Trust me; I won't let anybody hurt you."

Remus almost expected Deceit to yank his hand away in his panic, but he didn't- instead, he relaxed a little; new tears forming in his eyes, and let out a breath. "I..."

"It's okay," Remus said, smiled, and pulled Deceit into a delicate hug he didn't resist. "It's okay. I'm here."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Deceit groaned, crying into Remus's chest. Remus pulled away, summoning a first aid kit, sitting Deceit and him on the edge of the liar's bed.

"Deceit, you don't need to apologize. I do. I shouldn't have given you so much space; I just didn't want to push you. I was so worried that you'd see too much of my brother in me..." Remus cleared his throat awkwardly as if this was not something he cared to admit. 

Deceit's eyes were a little puffy from crying, so he focused on Remus, who sat across from him, rather than the blood on his arms. He looked so much older, the grey tuff in his hair almost warranted by the exhausted, worried lines around his eyes. Remus was a bit thinner, his movements focused, and completely lacking in the chaotic spunk he usually was filled with. He hadn't made any of his normal innuendos, gross queries, or the like at all since he had been sick, and it didn't seem like he was going to now, based on the situation. Deceit couldn't help but miss that about his boyfriend if they were even still that.

Remus cleaned the wounds, which stung horribly, and bandaged them. "Why'd you do it, love?" Remus asked, a soft, casual tone in his voice.

"I keep remembering things," Deceit admitted his voice a little shaky. "Things that happened when I was with Roman... they're so awful, Ree. And the things I said to you; I can't... I just can't breathe. I panic, getting so worried that I've ruined everything between us, and that you won't love me anymore, when... when..."

Remus had finished and was now gazing at Deceit with an unreadable expression, but Deceit reckoned it was all pity. "When I'm broken like this!" Deceit stuttered, wincing at the volume of his voice.

Remus tilted his head to the side. He sat quietly for half a second, taking in what Deceit had just said, before smiling very softly. "Can I hold you, Dee?" He asked, and Deceit launched himself into Remus's arms, nodding furiously as he curled against the creative side's chest, who held him tightly, though was careful not to put to much pressure on his arms. "I need you to listen to me. You did not fuck anything up. You are not broken, just a little bruised, that's all. I will always love you, even if you woke up tomorrow and decided you didn't feel the same way. There is nothing- not Roman, not Nero, not anything- that could ever split me from you. You got that?"

Deceit nodded, his tears slowing in joy and relief as Remus held him. Everything would be okay, wouldn't it be?


	21. Tacos, Rings and Self Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a note! This is not the end of this story- my beta said it sounded like I was ending it, so I thought I'd let ya'll know. There are more chapters on the way (:

Thomas met Remy in the hall, who was calling his name. "Ahh, there ya are. Where'd ya go?" he asked, walking with Thomas back to the living room. Thomas did not reply. Instead, he stared, wide-eyed, at the scene before him. Things were very chaotic. Virgil was in a shouting match with Roman and Nero, Emile was arguing with Patton, who was crying, and Logan was trying desperately to defuse the situation.

However, when Thomas entered, the room fell quiet. "I say we get this started, hmm?" Remy asked, walking over to the guilty sides briskly. Without any opposition, he reached out, tearing Roman's sash from him. Roman did not resist but shuddered as it split. Then he looked to Nero, who sighed, reached down, and took off his orange boots, handing them over.

"What's going on?" Thomas whispered, leaning over to Logan. 

"For the most part, the place from which our powers come from is an object. For me, my tie, for the twins their sashes, for Virgil his hoodie, etc. Without them, we cannot summon or create, or genuinely influence you at all without your consent on the matter," Logan explained, and they watched as Remy set them down on the floor, pulled out a match, and set them on fire. The flames were white at first but quickly shifted to a tarlike black as the items burned away.

Nero's knees buckled. Roman caught him, but it was clear he was more than a little dizzy as well, as he gripped at his chest, seemingly trying to wrap his fingers around the sash that was no longer there. As quickly as it had begun, Remus and Nero seemed to snap out of their reverie. Their colors were very faded now, as the fire went out, and Emile, Remy, and Virgil escorted the sides back to Roman's castle.

The decision had been made. He wouldn't turn back, not now. Logan cleared his throat. "Why don't we leave Thomas to rest now, this has clearly been a bit exhausting for him." Logan smiled at Patton, wrapping his arm around the father figure's shoulder supportive. 

"Are you gonna be alright, Thomas?" Patton asked. 

Thomas nodded, perhaps a little too quickly. "Yeah, yeah, of course," he said. But he still felt a little strange, as if he had been standing out in the sun for too long. The two remaining sides sunk out, leaving Thomas alone. 

___________________________________________

When they rose up in the common area, they found Remus and Deceit in the kitchen. Patton bit his lip. Remus using his kitchen was a deep fear within his happy pappy soul. The atrocities Remus had committed to there over the years, ranging from gutting live fish on the counter to cooking eyeballs in the slow-cooker, still haunted him at night. But it seemed Deceit was monitoring him, so that brought some peace of mind to him. "Whatcha doing, kiddos?" he asked nervously, observing as Remus grated cheese.

"We're making dinner, Padre! Dee and I thought it'd be nice to give ya a little break," Remus grinned, blowing a stay strand of hair from his eyes and winking. It was startling how much happier he looked; it was as if the world had suddenly become way brighter. Deceit was smiling too, though he did seem a bit tired. "Hey, Dee! Do you think human fingers could be grated on the cheese grater?" Remus asked, staring at the grater with a deep concentration.

Deceit turned from where he had been making guacamole, pressed a kiss into his boyfriend's neck, and grinned. "Probably. But you'd have to deal with bones and nails, so really all you'd be getting was dead skin. I don't think Logan or Patton would like to eat that, but it's a fine notion, dear."

Remus beamed, going back to grating cheese. Logan and Patton took a seat on the couch. "Do you think that went well today, Lo?" Patton asked, cuddling close to Logan.

The Logical side shrugged, removing his glasses to clean them. "To be honest, Patton, I don't think there was any solution that could lead to us not feeling disconcerted on the matter. But, it's over now. Thomas made his choice, so I would suggest we try and make peace with it." Patton sighed gloomily, silently watching Remus and Deceit in the kitchen, but it was clear his mind was somewhere else. "What's wrong, Pat? Is there something else bothering you?" Logan asked after a moment, giving his best reassuring smile.

"I just- I just miss them," Patton admitted. "Roman was my kiddo! I made him love-filled pasta. We sang that Christmas song together! And I never even got to know Nero, but he seemed so lonely. I know they did horrible things, and I'm not saying they should be off the hook here, but... it all feels wrong."

Logan sighed. "Patton, you're Thomas's heart. If you weren't regretful for how this had gone, I would be concerned. I too miss Roman. But listen to me. We'll see him again; you know we will. He needs to accept the punishment for his actions. And in the meantime..." Logan turned, so he was better facing Patton, taking the father figure's hands in his. "I want you to know that you can count on me to make sure you're not lonely. Because... because I love you, Patton."

Patton wiped his teary eyes on his shoulder. "Aww, Lo, I love you too!" He wrapped his arms in a tight hug around Logan, pulling him close. He slowly pulled apart when Virgil, Emile, and Remy showed up. They all looked frustrated and tired from escorting Roman and Nero to the castle, but their moods seemed to lighten when Deceit called from the kitchen that dinner was ready. The couple had made tacos, which Deceit assured hadn't been contaminated by any of Remus's 'ideas.'

It was a lovely meal. Virgil and Patton talked about a party Thomas had been invited to, Remus forced Picani and Logan into some conversation about the Operation Midnight Climax, and Deceit and Remy sat eating quietly. Remy watched Deceit, who was staring with a nervous, wistful smile at Remus, who was seemingly oblivious. "Hey, you good man?" Remy asked, taking a drink of his Starbucks.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm great," Deceit smiled, and it wasn't a lie. "Just nervous."

"Nervous?" Remy asked, raising an eyebrow.

The liar nodded, motioning for Remy to follow him out of the dining room. Nobody noticed them slip out. They stood around the corner. Deceit fished in his pocket and pulled out a ring box. "Holy shi-" Remy said loudly, but Deceit flicked his wrist, and Remy covered his mouth. Deceit pressed a finger to his lips and then allowed Remy to talk again. "Holy shit! You're gonna propose to him?" Remy whispered, chuckling.

Deceit's smile melted. "Yeah. After everything that's happened, I feel like now is the time. I know that I want him in my life. But... do you think it's a good idea? Is it too soon? Would he feel pressured? Damn it! This was a stupid idea-"

Remy rolled his eyes, silencing Deceit with a glare. "Gurl, if you don't get your ass in there and propose, I will literally do it for you. You guys are made for each other; if he isn't ready, he'll tell you, but this is Remus we're talking about. He would kill an army just to stand in the same room as you."

This seemed to boost Deceit's confidence significantly. He smiled and pulled Remy into a quick, awkward hug. "Thanks, old friend."

"Yeah, yeah," Remy said, propping his sunglasses upon his head, but he was blushing. "Now, go on!" He lightly pushed Deceit back into the dining room and went back to his seat. Remy nudged and whispered to Emile, who grinned and casually leaned and told Logan, and the information made its way around the table. 

Deceit came over to Remus. "Hey, snakey!" Remus said, smiling. The liar pulled Remus to his feet. "What's goin' on?" Remus asked, wiping the sour cream from his mustache onto his sleeve.

Deceit was sweating, it was obvious, but he didn't care; this was his moment of bravado. He whipped the ring box out of his pocket so fast that Remus couldn't make out what it was and rapidly changed his position from standing next to him to a kneel. Patton squeaked in excitement.

Remus gasped, giggling like a little kid. "Dee, are you-"

"Yeah, I am," Deceit stuttered. "Look, I... well, why is this so difficult? You're the love of my life, Remus. I don't think I could live without you. After everything that's happened, I realized that life is really fucking short, and I can't risk losing you again. So what do you say? My partner in crime, my best friend, my love; will you marry me?"

The second of silence was torture. But it was not hesitation that struck Remus quiet. It was all joy. He pulled Deceit to his feet, reached in his own pocket, and pulled a box of his own out. "Only if you marry me too!"

Logan murmured something about that not making sense, as marriage was by nature already a two-way street, but it was drowned out by the cheering of the other sides. They hastily slid the rings onto one another's fingers, and Remus dipped Deceit into a kiss. 

They had finally gotten what they wanted. And it was terrific.


	22. Stars and Rainbow Stripes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here, have a fluffier chapter.

"I don't know, guys, you think I look good in this?" Deceit asked, doing a slow twirl in front of the mirror, his cheeks a little pink with embarrassment.

Virgil shrugged, glancing up from his phone. Patton nodded, grinning, slinging an arm around Deceit's shoulders. "You look great, kiddo! It's perfect!"

Deceit was trying on suits for his wedding, with Virgil and Patton giving him their opinions. Deceit sighed. He knew that somewhere else in the mindscape, Remy and Emile were doing the same thing to Remus. He couldn't help smiling at the fact that Remus probably looked incredible. Deceit glanced at his companions. Perhaps they weren't the best people to go with, in hindsight. Patton said he looked nice in everything he put on, and Virgil hardly gave his opinion, to busy scrolling Tumblr. "You look equally goofy in anything, Dee. Why are you so worried about it? You know Remus'll like whatever you choose anyway." Virgil tucked away his phone, standing up and stretching. 

"Wow, thanks, Virge," Deceit said, rolling his eyes affectionately and straightening his tie. The suit was not dissimilar in style to his court-suit, he realized. It was a creamy regal shade of white, with a pastel yellow dress shirt beneath it. It did look nice, Deceit decided. It was simple and becoming, which was precisely what the liar wanted.

"Aww, you know I don't mean anything by it," Virgil said touseling Deceit's hair. Deceit hissed, playfully batting Virgil's hands away and waving his hand, so he was dressed in his standard outfit. He grinned at Virgil. He hadn't quite realized when they became friends. Before 'the incident' as they had all taken to calling Roman and Nero's crimes, Virgil had been slightly less malicious, but when everything was back to normal, he was more than a little pushy with his friendliness. Deceit didn't mind, but it was surprising. He wondered if perhaps Virgil was trying to apologize. It was kind of nice, but not really needed. Of course, Deceit wasn't going to bring this up with Morality in the room, but it defiantly was something he wanted to address.

"Thanks for your help, guys. I really appreciate it," Deceit said, and Patton beamed.

"Aww, well, it's not every day that my kiddos get married!" Patton said. "And so soon, too!"

"Yeah," Deceit agreed. He, Virgil, and Patton left the tailor's shop. "I mean, it's not like we have a large guest list, and everything needed for the wedding can be summoned on a whim in the imagination. I guess Reme and I are just eager, you know?" He glanced at Patton and Virgil, who looked between Deceit and each other, big smiles on their faces before they began to laugh. "What's so funny?" Deceit said, his voice monotone and a little sharp, but not angry.

"It's just," Virgil began, but he choked on a laugh.

"You're adorable when you talk about him. You look so happy and light, it's so cute, Dee!" Patton giggled. Deceit blushed.

"Damn, if somebody looked like you do, even when they were just thinking about me..." Virgil trailed off, smiling and elbowing Deceit. "I'd be lucky. I'm glad you've found this, Dee. You deserve to be happy."

Deceit blushed harder. "T-thanks," he stuttered, looking at his feet. Patton seemed to realize that some things needed to be discussed between the two of them. He insisted that he needed to go find Logan, and left the boys alone. They were quiet for a minute, walking down the narrow paths that stretched through the town in Remus's side of the imagination.

Suddenly, they both began talking at once. "Look, I'm really sorry!" Virgil began.

"I want you to be the best man at my wedding!" Deceit said, a little quieter. He and Virgil froze, looking at each other with surprise. "Wait; what? What are you sorry for?" Deceit asked, tilting his head.

Virgil looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. "It's just... Remus and I had a conversation a while back, and he apparently he was under the impression that I hated you guys. He thought that's why I left it the first place, or whatever, and that's not true! I've been trying extra hard to make up for all this lost time, or sort of making it an understood thing that I don't really harbor any bad feelings toward you, but I thought it looked like I was trying too hard or that I was fake and I just wanted to apologize."

Deceit was stunned. "Virgil, you don't need to stress out about this! You're my friend. We did have a couple of rough patches, but we're past that now. I know you don't hate me, and I certainly don't hate you." Virgil seemed to relax a lot at this information. They started up walking again, almost back to the Duke's castle, where Remus said he would be that day, as Deceit kept talking. "I was kind of hoping you'd be my best man? I think Remus was going to ask you, so I had to snatch you up first," he winked, his grin mischievous. "That is if you're willing."

"Oh! Y-yeah, I'd be honored," the anxious side rambled.

"Even though you think 'weddings are outdated, overly expensive pageantry?' "Deceit teased, entirely mocking his friend's voice as they entered the castle. Virgil laughed, mumbling something about things being different now. 

The two found Remus, who was accompanied by Remy and Emile, in Remus's expansive walk-in imaginary closet. Remus was wearing his tall, bog colored socks, a pair of blindingly bright rainbow-colored striped boxers, and an oversized sweater that matched his socks. Remy was lying upside down off the side of a small couch in the corner, smacking Remus with a measuring tape boredly as Emile handed Remus ties to try on. 

"Dee!" Remus greeted when he spotted him in the mirror, bouncing away from Emile. The therapist, who seemed grateful for the distraction, went and took a seat by Remy. Virgil came over to join them. Remus gave the liar a quick kiss. "If it isn't my favorite fiancé!"

Deceit rolled his eyes. "I sure as Hell hope I am, considering I'm your only fiancé," the liar purred, and Remus laughed. 

"But of course, my dear snake!" Remus leaned closer, lowering his voice so only Deceit could hear him. "What do you say we ditch these friendly losers and go do something fun? I've been cooped up with the Doc and Sleep all day, and I gotta get some fresh air."

"Sounds like a great idea, Remus."

It was easy enough to get the other three to leave- they were all tired anyway- and the couple thanked them for their help with the suit selecting and everything else they had done in preparation for the wedding the past few weeks. Remus threw on his sash and a pair of black sequined pants and looped his arm in Deceit's. They teleported to a forest, seemingly somewhere deep in the imagination. The forest floor was carpeted in dead pine needles, and the sunset glittered through the trees. Remus led Deceit a little way to a small break in the trees and summoned a large blanket, which he draped on the ground. The Duke sat down and waved his hand for Deceit to join him. 

"What are we up too?" Deceit asked, looking around. 

"I thought we could just relax, spend some time together. And it's a clear night so we could watch the stars. But if you think that's stupid, we don't have to..." Remus stuttered, his face a little pink.

Deceit reached over and cupped his fiancé's face with his hand. "I think it sounds like a great idea." 

And so the two of them lay back on the blanket as the sky became dark and gazed at the vast expanse of stars the decorated the sky. The sides pointed out constellations, Remus finding ones that looked remarkably like people being disemboweled or, more frequently, like dicks. It grew a little cooler in the evening, but neither of them was ever really cold when wrapped in their lover's arms.

"When did you find this place? It's beautiful here," Deceit asked, turning to Remus instead of watching the sky. Remus was stunned by the shine of the moon in Deceit's snake eye, making it practically hypnotic. He added it to the list of reasons he loved his dear snake.

"Alien hunting. One time a couple of years ago, Roman and I fought some Aliens out here. It was great, but kinda stupid since they had blasters and we had a mace and a sword. I thought it'd be more fun if the Alien's spit acid, but Roman said no." Remus trailed off, suddenly aware of who he was talking too. "I'm sorry I brought him up. But that doesn't matter! This is our spot now."

Deceit sighed, pushing back his hair. His hat was set to the side next to him, but somehow he was even less readable. "Remus, you don't have to apologize. He's your brother, and you can talk about him."

"I just don't want to trigger any bad thought's for you," the Duke murmured. "I only wanna do that for Thomas. But you... you don't deserve that."

Deceit leaned in, snuggling closer to Remus. "Honey, we've discussed this. Part of our relationship stands on the fact that if one person pushes the other's boundaries, we talk about it. So let's leave this be, alright?"

Remus nodded, and they continued to point out stars. Over less than an hour, he pointed out at least four different dick constellations. "Hmm," the creative side thought allowed. "If Logan were here, he'd probably pitch a fit at me and tell me there are no space dicks."

"I'm glad he's not. I much prefer your description of space, Ree," Deceit yawned. More and more as the night went on, he would only mumble responses to Remus, who chattered away about the sky, the wedding, and really just anything that came into his stream of consciousness. Remus looked to Deceit, who had fallen asleep and carefully combed his hair away from his face. It was such an incredible amount of trust it made the Duke's heart melt.

He teleported them back to the castle and laid his boyfriend down in the royal chambers, tucking him in amongst the blankets. He was about to leave him to sleep when he heard a quiet babble from Deceit on the bed.

"What?" He asked, turning back.

"Stay here?" Deceit slurred sleepily, his eyes half open and bleary. Remus smiled, nodding, and joined his boyfriend on the bed. The liar wrapped his arms around the Duke, holding him tight.

Things were peaceful and great, and Remus felt like the luckiest person ever to exist.


	23. Paper Rings And Cardboard Kings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, boy, do I have something for ya'll today! The moment we've all been waiting for! Written mostly by my darling partner because I lack the ability to write teeth- rotting fluff. Wedding time! Also, we chose the song "Beautiful Ghosts" by Taylor Swift from the film Cats, since the lyrics seemed to fit, but between ya'll and I, I think a song from Cats is exactly what Remus would've wanted.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” Deceit mumbled, finding his suit uncomfortably hot. His hands were shaking intensely as he repeatedly fumbled with his tie, but his head was somewhere else, and he was quickly becoming aware of the passage of time.

Suddenly, Virgil’s hands were batting Dee’s away. Virgil quickly and elegantly knotted the liar’s marble white tie and clamped his hands down on Deceit’s shoulders. “You’ve got to take a deep breath, man. Everything is going to be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” Deceit argued, wiping some of the sweat off of his brow. It wasn’t particularly hot, per se, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t still sweating like a serial killer in a church full of the police.

Virgil chuckled. “Damn, you’re starting to sound like me. Just take a deep breath, focus, and relax a little.”

Suddenly, the music started up, and “Beautiful Ghosts” by Taylor Swift was playing.

“Are you ready to marry the love of your life?” Virgil asked, a grin playing across his lips.

Deceit looked at his best man, hundreds of thoughts in his head, finally starting to dim down. “I have been for as long as I can remember.”

“And so maybe my home isn’t what I had known…”

Deceit walked through the doors, nervous as all hell, but he’d be damned if this ‘wasn’t the happiest he’d ever been.

“And so maybe my home isn’t what I had known, what I thought it would be. But I feel so alive with these phantoms of the night, and I know that this life isn’t safe, but it’s wild, and it’s free…”

Deceit looked up and connected eyes with Remus, and everything got quiet. Remus was the most beautiful being he’d ever seen. His light grey and pastel jade suit were contrasting with the pearl and pastel pink and yellow theme of the wedding, his smile lighting up Dee’s world. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect sight. He was walking forward, but he wasn’t aware of anything but the two of them. He couldn’t think, couldn’t feel, couldn’t do anything but just know that no matter what, every second he lived after this he would be with the man on the other end of the aisle. And honestly? He wouldn’t complain if someone offered him everything to do so.

“I’ll never wander London streets, alone and haunted…”

Deceit stood at the altar across from Remus, everything that had happened, bringing them to this moment. He clutched his small bouquet of yellow spray roses, white narcissus, and pink orchids in one hand, his other coming together to intertwine with Remus’s. The two were smiling dopily, tears flowing freely down their cheeks.

Remus lifted his free hand to wipe a tear from Dee’s face. “Hey there,” he whispered, sniffling a little.

“Hey love,” Dee whispered back, blushing. His throat was tight from tears of joy.

“Born into nothing, with them, I have something, something to cling to. I never knew I’d love this world they’ve let me into…”

Emile cleared his throat, not even trying to hide his smile as the music dimmed down. “Well I must say, these past few weeks have been… something, to say the least. But I wouldn’t trade the way it has turned out for anything. To see these two sides so happy together makes me the proudest friend in the world.”

Patton interrupted from the crowd. “Hey, that’s my title!”

Emile rolled his eyes but chuckled. “Okay, fine. The second proudest friend in the world. Before I can get you two hitched, however, I would like to ask you both to say some vows!”

Deceit cleared his throat and steeled himself to pour his entire soul out for Remus in front of all their friends. “Before I go and be all mushy, I’d like to say that even though I may be named Deceit to all of you, what I’m about to say is anything but lies. Remus, you are my everything. I have put you through so much, and yet we’re still here and stronger than ever. You love me, and I love you. When I’m with you, I feel accepted, and whole, and understood- something that I hadn’t felt until I met you and something that I feel most when I’m with you. You complete me, Remus Sanders. I love and trust you more than anything, darling. And I can’t wait to live the rest of our lives side by side, as Remus and Janus Sanders.” Wow, did he just do that? He couldn’t believe he just did that.

The whole room was quiet in shock. Janus had just told them his real name. Ho-ly shit. What an absolute drama queen, using his wedding as the opportunity to identify himself. Thomas shook his head, but his face bore a proud smile.

Emile shook himself and spoke again. “U-uhm, well, okay then… that just happened. Remus, your vows next, please?”

Remus seemed to be stunned into silence, which was terrifying. Then, his face split into a grin, and he began laughing. He grabbed Janus’s face and pulled him into a short kiss, resting their foreheads together after. “You sneaky little bastard, I love you. I love you more than AXE deodorant, and moldy broccoli shakes. I love butts, but your beautiful butt is my favorite butt. You help me hide the bodies, you give me ideas on new fun ways to kill things, and together we are unstoppable chaos. You are the sneaky snek to my trash goblin, and together we’re one hell of a dumpster fire, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Janus had tears running down his face, not so silently crying. “Gods, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Emile wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. “You two are supposed to be the chaotic and deceitful ones, why’d you have to go and be all cute and make me cry? Anyway, Virgil, as both grooms’ best man, you may give them the rings.”

Virgil gave Janus the ring, a band of tungsten with a ring of peridot in the middle, and two rings of chrysoberyl around the edges. He also gave Remus the other ring, which was a mirror of the first. This one, however, was made of palladium, with the central band being chrysoberyl and the outer one being peridot.

Emile continued, “I couldn’t be happier when I say this. Remus Sanders, do you take Janus Sanders to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

Remus was smiling so wide it looked like it hurt as he said, “Obviously!” and put the ring onto Janus’s hand.

Emile’s face split into a smile as well, turning to Janus. “And do you, Janus Sanders, promise to love and protect Remus Sanders, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do you part?”

“Always and forever,” Janus said, meaning it with his everything as he slid the ring onto Remus’s finger.

Emile said the last part with so much glee in his voice that it sounded impossibly painful. “Well, then folks, with the power vested in me by the author that I now gladly present you as one! You may make out now.”

Remus practically flew onto Janus, knocking the bouquet out of his hand. They collided like waves on a cliffside, Janus’s hands flying up to pull Remus down by his lapels. Janus had never been a dominant person. He liked to hear and watch what others did and twist or change them. That was his job. But right now, he couldn’t wait any longer.

His lips collided with Remus’s, who seemed slightly surprised by the intensity, but gladly returned it. There was so much emotion in that kiss; so much passion and joy, trust, and protection. He wouldn’t be able to deny he loved Remus, even if it meant life or death. The kiss stretched on a few moments, before Virgil awkwardly coughed under his breath, a sort of ‘get a room’ signal.

As the two separated and Janus picked up the neglected flowers, music started up. Everyone was cheering, and Janus couldn’t imagine being happier. He threw the flowers into the air as the two ran down the aisle, laughing like the maniacs they were.

“H-Hey! I didn’t even reach for these flowers, why are they in my hands?!” Janus looked back to see Virgil standing somewhat confused and concerned with the flowers in his hands while the other sides stood around him, laughing.

Remus spoke up over the noise. “Why Virgey, it’s because of a little thing called ‘Why the Fuck Not’!”

“What did you do?!” Virgil cried, somewhere between bemused and angry.

“Sorry, I’ve got a honeymoon to get to! Bye!” Janus called.

“Wait a minute, get back here!”

“Sorry, no can do!” Janus said behind his shoulder as the newlyweds ran off, grinning and laughing and oh so entirely in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is a note from my darling co-creator, who helped me with this insanely fluffy chapter. (Y’all know by now I can’t write fluff, I’ve told y’all this. Repeatedly.)
> 
> Hullo, fellow not-quite-humans! I didn’t even read most of this lovely piece because I don’t really read angst, for my mental health. BUT! Anything that comes from the lovely main author’s brain is amazing so I know that this is too. I only really helped with the fluff, but I have been told about the plot by the lovely BossPotato, and I know that I love it! So, I just wanted to tell y’all that this has been super fun to help work on and that I can’t wait for the next time! Love y’all, bai. -Nightshade


	24. Love Me, Love Me, Say That You Love Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a smut chapter, primarily (All consensual). Thought I'd leave the warning. There is some plot-related information in the beginning, so I suggest you read up until the actual smut part if you decide to skip that part of the chapter. (There is an in-text warning, so you'd know where to stop.)
> 
> Also, read the notes at the end of the chapter, ya'll.

The reception was incredible, or so the newlyweds thought. It was in the garden of Remus's castle, lit by torches, and there was an incredibly dreamy aura to it all. But that wasn't to say that things didn't get a little wild.

Perhaps they were to lost in one another's eyes to notice when Virgil got absolutely hammered, slurring his way through his best man speech, or really a pointless ramble until Logan forced him to stop. Virgil had ended up passed out under a table.

They were to busy shoving cake in one another's faces to notice Remy, who was low-key strip-teasing Emile by the rose bushes. Or even that they disappeared for a portion of the evening before finally coming back, clothes askew and hair messy, looking winded.

And then, while they were dancing, Patton had been off throwing up, having eaten far to much cake, but they had failed to notice. Nothing could seem to ruin that night for them.

Roman snapped his spyglass in half and tossed it from the balcony of his castle. The castle was the only creature he had left, the rest sickly and barren. He grew tired of watching his brother dance with the liar and stomped back inside. Nero was lounging on an ottoman, watching Roman boredly.

"You finished moping, Ro?" He asked, standing up.

"I wasn't moping," Roman insisted, beginning to pace the length of the room.

"...right. And I don't have anger issues," he scoffed, sauntering over to the creative side.

Roman turned toward him with a huff. "What?"

Nero sighed, casually bouncing up and down on his bare heels. He had refused to wear shoes since he had lost his boots, something Roman found vaguely annoying. But who was he to judge? He could have just as quickly sown another sash, but it would never possess the abilities of the old one, nor provide comfort. "We should go to bed. It's late, and it's not exactly like staying up will improve your mood, what with..." he gestured in the direction of the window, with its view of Remus's castle. "That going on."

"Fine," Roman sighed and began to make his way to his bed chambers. But then he heard something. A knocking. "Who the Hell..." he murmured to himself, making his way to the door. Nero followed close behind, their curiosity burning. All of the other sides were at the wedding, and the dragon witch hadn't bee seen for weeks...

Roman opened to the door, and his eyes widened. He looked to Nero, who was staring, his normal pissy expression filled with horror and confusion. This was not good.

_________________________________________________

Smut warning!

_________________________________________________

The newlyweds were finally alone. Remus collapsed in a chair in their honeymoon sweet, a beachside cabin deep in the imagination. He pulled off his shoes, massaging his slightly sore feet. "Damn, you're an incredible dancer, De- Janus."

"Nothing compared to you," his husband replied. Janus was sitting on the edge of the bed, his jacket and tie off and collar unbuttoned enough to give a beautiful view of his upper chest. But Remus didn't even look. He waved his hand, and he was suddenly in his pajamas, which were Maleficent from 'Sleeping Beauty' themed. Janus let out a discontent sigh.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, turning to his husband.

"I just thought... oh, nevermind, it was silly of me."

Remus took a seat next to Janus. "Come on. Love! Whatever it is, I don't want you to be upset."

Janus bit his lip. "I just thought you'd, you know, want to... have sex?"

Remus blushed, awkwardly pushing his hair back. "Well yeah, I'd like to, but I didn't want to pressure you, or make it seem like you were obligated 'cause you're not, you're your person, and it wouldn't be fair of me to expect it, not after everything-"

Janus put a finger to Remus's lips, and the creative side's babbling trailed off. "Look, Reme. You are such a compassionate, wonderful human being. I appreciate how much you care about my feelings, but I want you to know that I never feel pressured or obligated when I'm with you. You're my husband. If I didn't love you with every fraction of my heart, would I be here with you now?"

Remus smiled softly, and it looked like tears were brimming in the corners of his eyes. "Fuck, you're so nice..." he murmured, rubbing his eyes on his sleeve.

"Only because you deserve it," Janus said, leaning closer. "So, what do you say, my love? Will you share this with me?"

Remus couldn't even bring himself to answer before their lips collided, their kisses slow and tender. As he pulled away, he murmured, "If you want to stop at any point, just tell me." Janus nodded again, offering a small smile.

Remus kissed him again, sliding his hands under his shirt, pushing it up slightly, then pausing. "May I?"

Janus nodded breathlessly, pulling away long enough for Remus to remove both their shirts, then reconnecting their lips immediately.

Remus pushed him back slowly, so he was lying down, giving him a final kiss before trailing kisses and bites on his neck and down his chest, leaving marks, eliciting a shudder from Janus. He moaned softly, feeling his dick twitch at the small nips.

Remus undid the button on his pants, pausing with a quick "Is this okay?" and waiting for the nod before pulling them off. His boxers soon followed, and Janus suddenly felt very exposed. He blushed, slightly uncomfortable by how nude he was.

His thoughts disbanded, though, as Remus took his own remaining clothes off, revealing his hard cock, and retrieved the lube from the bedside table. Squirting a generous amount on his fingers, he rubbed them together to spread it quickly, before placing a finger at Janus's entrance. Here, he paused again, looking up at Janus for confirmation to continue. This was met with a nod. Slowly, he pushed his finger into Janus, leaning up to kiss him as he did so to distract from the strange feeling.

He worked his finger in and out of Janus, before adding another, scissoring them gently. Janus let out a quiet groan at the stimulation. Remus moved slowly, conscious of the fact that Janus was rarely the one being penetrated, and for this, Janus was grateful. He added the third finger soon after, stretching his lover sufficiently and removing his hand.

Janus whined at the loss, but bit his lip, gasping, as Remus pushed into him slowly, until their hips were flush against each other. Remus stopped, his slightly heavy breathing mirroring Janus's, and they stayed like that for a few moments, merely feeling each other. "You okay, love?" Remus asked, waiting for his husband's answer.

"Y-yeah," Deceit stuttered, the fullness in his ass a tad overwhelming. But that wasn't to say it was terrible. "Will you move?" He asked.

Remus chuckled slightly. "Of course, baby." Then Remus began to move, slowly at first, then faster, gradually setting up a rhythm. Janus nearly screamed as a slight change in angle brought an entirely new, sharper sensation.

"M-more, please!" he managed to gasp out, and Remus complied, moaning as he moved, hitting that spot so perfectly, it nearly brought tears to Janus's eyes. Remus murmured praises about how good Janus's ass felt around him, how beautiful he was, how well he was taking it. It was lovely.

This was all so different than before. Remus was taking care of him, such as good care. For once, he didn't have to worry about being used and hurt. His husband would never ever treat him that way. His orgasm, along with this new revelation, hit him hard. His vision went white, and the feelings that moved through his skin were heavenly until they were too much.

When it had passed, his stomach and chest were streaked with his cum, while Remus had cum inside of him, and he relished that feeling of being full of his love's release. When Remus had pulled out carefully, nearly dizzying him with the overstimulation, and looked at him with a sweet, tender gaze.

"You handsome devil," Remus murmured, flopping down next to Janus. He seemed to have a lot of energy still, but made no move to continue, instead of leaning over and carefully brushing the hair back from Janus's sweaty face. His eyes widened when he saw his husband, who was crying softly into the pillows. "Baby, are you alright?! Did I do something wrong?"

Janus shook his head, looking up and smiling softly. "No, no, you didn't do anything wrong, Reme! You did everything right. That's… that's why I'm crying."

Remus seemed taken aback by this, and a little confused. He summoned a wet rag and carefully wiped his husband and himself of their cum, as Janus explained. "You actually care… about whether or not I was doing alright, and I don't know, I just… just…" Janus couldn't quite find the words.

Remus smiled, leaning in and kissing Janus softly. "Of course, I care. I love you!" And somehow, this hit so much differently than the other times he had said it. Janus felt his soul relax. He didn't need to be afraid anymore. Not with Remus at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am continuing with this story, but this is the end of the first plot arc. Thought I'd let ya'll know. (:


	25. The Cowboy And The Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so starts plot arc two! Prepare yourselves, this is one Hell of a chapter.

For one month, everything was perfect. It was the end of summer, and everyone enjoyed the break from the heavy workload that the rest of the year brought. So much so, that Remus and Janus hardly had to perform their jobs at all. But as summer waned and the trees showed signs of fall, they traveled back from the imagination. 

Virgil and Patton were all hanging out in Thomas's living room. Patton and Thomas were playing checkers, as Virgil lounged on the couch. "Sup bitches!" Remus called, rising up, wearing khaki shorts and a green and white patterned Hawaiian shirt.

Janus was a second behind him, wearing a similar outfit, though he sported his hat, and his own shirt was yellow. Virgil jumped up from the couch and pulled his friends into a firm hug. "You're back!" Patton squealed, taking the opportunity to hug Deceit when Virgil had let go.

For the rest of the afternoon, things seemed to go great. Everyone was relaxing, enjoying Janus's story of how Remus had gotten in a fistfight with a shark, (how that had worked, not even Remus seemed to know) when Remus interrupted. "Babe, as much as I love you describing the tales of my heroism, I was hoping to ask- where are Lo, Remy, and the Doc? They haven't been answering my texts." Remus motioned to his phone as if to prove he had been doing this. It was a cracked, battered old thing that seemed to leak fluid when held at a certain angle and was held together by sheer force of will.

"I don't know," Patton said, shrugging. "A few days ago, Remy ran in here pretty frantic, grabbed Logan and told him there was a problem going on with Roman and Nero, but wouldn't say what."

Remus glanced nervously at Janus, to see his reaction to this. Surprisingly, his husband didn't seem too distressed by this news. Maybe he was hiding his feelings. "And you haven't heard from them since?" Janus asked finally. Virgil and Patton shook their heads.

Patton stood up, clapping hands together. "Whatever it is, our guys will figure it out! In the meantime, I'm gonna start a welcome back dinner!" Thomas, who had become busy with a text, mumbled his goodbyes, and the sides sunk out and back to their own commons.

___________________________________________________________________________

It was a dark and stormy night. It seemed to portray the mood of the room, the tension in all of the sides present. Everyone was uncomfortable, nervously waiting for some word back about what had happened to their friends, and what had been occurring with Roman and Nero. Patton was just handing out bowls of Jello when Remy popped up. 

He looked exhausted and dirty as if he hadn't slept since he had left. Before anyone could speak, he threw up his hands. "Don't freak out!" He said, his eyes carefully shifting between Virgil and Janus. "But we need to have a big meeting. All of us sides."

Patton visibly relaxed. His smile went warm. "Aww, why would we freak out? Just bring Logan and Emile on up here, and we can have this big family meeting!"

Remy cleared his throat, pushing up his glasses to reveal agitated eyes. "No... I mean, everyone. Roman, Nero, and..." He trailed off, waving his hand. "Everyone."

Remus stood up, pushing his chair back so quickly it shook the table a little. "What? Why? Anything that happens doesn't concern them anymore; we all agreed!"

"What could possibly be so important that it requires them to be here?" Janus said, his tone much softer and a bit shaky.

Remy sighed, biting his lip. His typical diva spunk was gone, and he seemed nervous. "Logan and Emile, they said I shouldn't tell you. This is kind of big, you guys, and we have to deal with this as a full team." His eyes rested uneasily on Janus, as if he desperately wanted to say something, or he felt some overwhelming pity towards the liar that he wanted to address. Janus did not like it. 

Patton, Virgil, and Remus immediately started pummeling poor Remy with their words. 'This was ridiculous,' they said. 'They were criminals, and they had no right to be a part of the team!' But Janus sat quietly, his mind slowly processing. Logan, Emile, and Remy were his friends. They knew how heavy a situation like this was on him. They would never call for such a meeting unless they really, really believed it was necessary. "Guys, let's just do it."

Nobody heard Janus over the yelling. Deceit slammed his hand on the table. "GUYS!" They all stopped.

"This is ridiculous! I don't know about you, but I trust that Logan and Emile know what they're doing. They wouldn't want to hurt us, so let's just hear them out, okay?"

"But what if Roman and Nero have them under some spell?" Virgil said, relating precisely what Remus and Patton had been thinking. Remy, who looked mortally offended, opened his mouth do deliver a very profane rant, but Janus spoke up over him.

"We can better address that issue as a team, then. Either way, if Logan, Emile, and Remy say we've got to meet with them, we have to do it."

Slowly, Virgil and Patton caved. Janus looked to Remus expectantly. "Well? Are you okay with this, Ree?"

Remus smiled nervously. "As long as you are, love."

Remy sighed deeply, flicking his shades back down. "Well, that's a relief," he said, punching a text into his phone. He paused briefly and then tucked his phone away. "Em said they're gonna rise up with Roman and Nero in the common room in five minutes." He turned, walking out, and ushering for them all to follow.

Janus took a long, deep breath, and stood up, following Remy from the room. God, he hoped this wasn't a horrible mistake. What could possibly be so important that the others needed to come in? And why was it being kept a secret? Why did Remy keep looking at him like that? They had just gotten back, damn it! Couldn't a brief moment of normality be spared?

The group sat silently in the living room. Remy kept checking his phone nervously. Patton was sitting close to Virgil as if he was restraining the overwhelming urge to hug his anxious son. And Remus's arm was draped protectively around his husband's shoulder. They watched the space across the room apprehensively, waiting for Roman to rise in front of the TV; for Nero to appear as nonchalant as ever, lounging on the stairs. For their friends to reappear. It was a horrible wait.

Five minutes came, and five minutes went. It became ten, and the group began to grow restless. "Where are they, Sleep?" Remus said, his tone impatient.

"I...I don't know, they should be here-" He was cut off by a loud noise.

The lightbulbs were bursting.

Patton screeched, jumping away from the lamp as the bulb exploded, and the light went out. "Fuck!" Remy shouted, a spark landing on his hand. Remus jumped up, summoning his mace.

"Dramatic, as always," he shouted to the pitch dark room. "Where are you, you piece of shit?!"

Janus could barely make out his husband's figure, and he was standing right in front of him. He didn't know how Remus could sense his twin, but Remus swung the mace anyway.

Suddenly, the room flooded with light again. Emile was standing there, in a similar state of dishevelment as Remy, having fixed the lightbulbs. Logan had caught Remus's arms from swinging the mace, which had clearly been on a direct path to his brother's head. "Sup Bitches!" Roman called, in a sing-song tone, though his eyes were bitter.

Roman stood haughtily in front of them. He had been a proud person before, but now, if practically dripped off of him. He wore a suit, the color of wet cement through a bit sparklier, and it's hems and stitches all done in a deep red. Any of the seeming remorse he may have appeared to feel was proven fake now, in the horrible way he looked at the group. He was like a cat watching a baby bird with a broken wing on the forest floor. Especially so as he looked at Janus.

Nero, on the other hand, wasn't all that different. He still sported his dusty leather jacket, though his hair was now unkempt. However, his broken glasses again sat there. Now he wore bright orange skinny jeans, somehow even uglier than his old boots. (Nero did not wear skinny jeans well) and his feet were bare and dirty.

But it was none of this that drew everyone's gaze to Nero. It was the child he held in his arms.


	26. Reminders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, hope ya'll don't hate me too much for leaving on a cliff hanger! Here we go, new chapter!

"Oh, you dramatic ass. You almost set Remy on fire with that little stunt!" Remus growled, straightening up to match his brother's proud posture.

"Remus, how wonderful to see you again! I can't say I've missed you," Roman scoffed, barely paying Deceit any mind. "And, Deceit, darling, you're looking well!"

"Logan, what the Hell?" Janus asked, his eyes flickering around the room. The child, a little boy who had seemingly been asleep in Nero's arms, stirred.

"A baby?" Patton asked, his voice filled with joy and confusion. He stepped forward, his hand outstretched. Roman reached out and lightly swatted his hand away.

"Now Padre," Roman said, his grin a little smugger than before, but with that familiar gleam of excitement. "Nero's got him, and you needn't touch him." The boy blinked slowly, looking around the room. It was his eyes that struck Janus so hard. One was brown, the same color as all the other sides... and one was slit, and gold, like his own.

He looked to be maybe four years old, though rather small. Dressed in a pink and grey plaid shirt and grey sweatpants, he seemed so odd in the company he was with: an evil prince and a depressed, greasy cowboy. 

The boy looked at Remus, and then up to Roman. "Wo..." he murmured, and Roman turned to him. There was a sparkling fondness in his eyes when he looked at the child, and it made Remus sick to see it.

"Yes, Apathy?" Roman asked.

"Apathy?" echoed Patton, Virgil, and Remus.

"Is that-" the boy Roman had called Apathy asked, pointing at Remus. "The other creativity?"

Roman's eyes grazed Remus with a thoughtless glance. "Yes, yes, it is. That's Remus, my brother," he pointed to Patton. "And that's Morality, but we call him Patton." The boy nodded, his eyes wide as he swallowed up the new information being given quite eagerly. "That's Anxiety, and his name is Virgil. And here..." he said, his finger pointing at Janus as if he was a priest accusing some soul of witchcraft. "Is Deceit."

"J-Janus," he stuttered, his heart beating to fast to be healthy. Roman nodded, pretending not to be surprised by this new information.

Janus was not aware with Emile had walked over to him, but suddenly he was there. "Hey, Janus? There's something Logan and I need to discuss with you. Babe?" He called to Remy, "would you introduce Apathy to the others while we have a quick chat?" Remy nodded, motioning for them all to sit down. Janus was led away by Emile, but he couldn't tear his gaze apart from the little boy, who Nero refused to let go of in an endearing, mama-bear (totally not somewhat psychotic) sort of way. Logan and Picani led Janus into the dining room. "Why don't you take a seat?" Emile suggested.

Janus did not move. "I need you two to explain to me what's going on," he said, his voice so much shakier then he meant it to be. "If you lie, I'll know. So just tell me the damn truth, please! What is going on? 'Cause the way I see it is something I pray isn't true."

Picani clasped his hands together carefully. "Janus, you understood that we sides aren't born. We come into existence as Thomas develops and needs one of us to assist him."

"Yeah, but the last time a new side developed was Virgil, and that was way back when Thomas was a young teenager! Could he really still have grown to develop Apathy after all these years?"

Logan cleared his throat. "Well, I'm afraid circumstances haven't been ideal for Thomas lately since he was responsible for straightening out the mess Roman and Nero got us into."

"So why did you pull me aside to tell me this?" Janus asked, his nervousness growing. "Why not discuss it with everyone else?"

Emile and Logan looked at one another, clearly having some silent battle of who had to speak next. Janus was growing increasingly frustrated. Finally, Logan sighed. "Apathy, at least as an emotion or mindset, is created when through lack of sympathy or any care for the feelings of others, the full willingness to harm or otherwise distort their reality. Roman, in his conquest, to ruin yours and Remus's relationship, built up a lot of such feelings. However, it was his... forced copulation with you that, as Dr. Picani and I have studied these past few days, that resulted in Apathy becoming a side."

Janus gripped the table, his breath quickening. "You mean to say that- that this is what happened because Roman raped me?"

Both of the other sides flinched slightly at the bluntness of the phrase. Emile nodded slowly, his eyes filled with the same overwhelming pity that Remy had shown. "In the same sense that Roman and Remus are twins... Apathy is yours and Roman's son."

Janus felt suddenly very sick. He slumped back into one of the dining room chairs, his body shaking as he tried to repress sobs. Son. It wasn't fair! Janus had been willing to push away those thoughts and memories, when they came up, about what Roman had done. But this... the evidence of that horrible time in his life, that little boy in Nero's lap...

It was such a horrible mix of emotions, a beautiful cake baked with salt instead of sugar. On the one hand, he felt some parental tug in him to keep the little boy away from Nero and Roman, a need to protect him from those wicked people. But, on the other hand, he didn't want that horrible reminder jabbing at him every turn of what had happened...

And what about Remus? How would he feel when he found out that his husband had a child with his twin brother? "He would try and kill Roman immediately," Janus murmured under his breath between sobs.

"What?" Emile asked, who had come to kneel next to Janus's chair.

"Remus..." Janus choked. "He'll be so upset."

Emile's gave him a reassuring smile. "Well, you know better than anyone that Remus is a very passionate person. But he is also very caring. He knows none of this was your fault."

Janus took a deep breath. He knew what Emile said wasn't a lie, but it still didn't sit quite right. Remus would be upset; he could sense it. He pushed himself up suddenly and felt dizzy. "I... I need to talk to him."

Logan nodded. "Of course. I will retrieve Remus from the living room, so that you may discuss-"

"No!" Janus cut him off. "Not... not Remus. I need to talk to Roman."

Emile and Logan exchanged bewildered glances. "You want to talk to Roman?"

"...yes," Janus said, walking out of the dining room and into the hall. 

Emile and Logan ran after him. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yes, I seriously advise against it," Logan said. 

Janus spun to face the two. "Look, guys. I need to talk to him, whether you 'advise' it or not. Now, if you respect me as a person, one of you will stay in the dining room with Roman and me, just to, well, watch and make sure he doesn't..." Janus waved his hand, unable to quite say anything. Drug him again? Touch him? Janus didn't know, and he didn't want to think about it.

"Of course," Emile said.

Logan nodded. "If there is no way to persuade you otherwise, I will gladly sit in on the conversation."

Janus sighed with relief. He leaned forward and captured the therapist and the logical side in a hug. "Thanks for sticking by me during this mess."

"It's hardly a choice, Janus; you're my friend! We'd never abandon you when you need help!" Emile said, and the trio went back to the living room.

Apathy had his head on Roman's lap and his legs across Nero's, seemingly about to fall asleep. Roman was lazily combing Apathy's hair with his fingers, engaged in a fight with Virgil and Remus, though all of them kept their voices relatively low for Apathy's sake. A shiver ran up Janus's spine, and he took a deep breath, rubbing the tears from his eyes, and cleared his throat.

The sides looked up at him. "Roman, you and I need to talk."

"Isn't that what we're doing right now?" Roman said flippantly.

"Don't be a smartass. Come on. You're joining Logan and me in the dining room."

Roman clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Wow, Dee. Such vulgar words in front of our son?" Janus cringed. 'Damn you, Roman,' he thought. Remus is going to murder you. I was going to have this conversation with him later, and you went and fucked it up.

"I'm sorry, what the fuck did you just say?" Remus asked carefully, biting his lip. 

"What, brother mine, did nobody tell you? Apathy is what... your nephew and your step-son?" Roman cackled.

Nero sighed, burying his face in his hand. "Roman, I told you not to phrase it that way..."

Roman ignored him; his eyes fixed on Remus. Everyone seemed to be. Remus sat there, not saying anything. He didn't seem to be in shock- instead, just lost in his own mind, trying to force himself to understand something he didn't want to be real.

Roman looked disappointed at Remus's lack of reaction. He sighed, scooped Apathy up off his lap and stood. He glanced around and settled on the moral side as the best option. "Here," he said, depositing the sleepy little boy in Patton's arms. "Watch him for me, Padre?" Roman asked, grinning. Patton looked surprised but immediately latched onto Apathy, unable to suppress his exited expression of finally being allowed to hold the toddler. Roman walked over to where Janus and Logan were standing.

"Wait, Roman!" Remus called, suddenly on his feet. Roman turned around at the calling of his name and caught his brother's left hook directly in the jaw. Virgil snickered. Roman knelt on the ground; the wind knocked out of him. He massaged his jaw, waiting for Remus to hit him again- everyone was- but the other creative brother did not. He merely straightened his shirt, took a shaky breath, and walked past him to the door. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" Remus said, pecking his husband on the cheek as he passed. "I'll be in the imagination castle."

Janus was struck cold. Anything might have been easier to deal with- anger, disgust- but not this soft, sad tone. It was somehow worse than any other reaction because he simply didn't know what it meant. And that terrified him.

Roman finally pushed himself to his feet, his lip a bloody mess. "Well, then. Let's talk." He mumbled, seemingly slightly humbled. But there was only so humble Roman would ever be.


	27. Being A Narcissist Breaks Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, by now ya'll know I put very little effort into my summaries unless there's a content warning for the chapter. No content warning, unless you wanted a warning about Roman being a total dickbag.

Roman sat down in one of the chairs in the dining room. Logan leaned against the wall by the door so that he might monitor Roman's behavior, but Janus still felt uneasy in Roman's presence. How could he not? "So, Dee," Roman said, kicking his feet up on the table. "Congrats on the wedding."

The pleasant remark caught the liar off guard. "But I have to ask, does my brother fuck you as well as I did?"

Ahh, there it was.

"You sick, sick bastard," Janus spat. "Can you have, like, any amount of shame?"

"Guess I'll take that as a no," Roman scoffed, picking his nails.

Janus slapped the table. "Fine, you really want to know? Remus is a hundred percent better than you. You know why? Because he asks consent!"

"As I recall, you were consenting at the time."

"I was intoxicated by your stupid love potion!"

Roman waved him off. "You are so much less attractive when you're angry. Look, Logan, he's going get wrinkles."

Logan didn't respond to that comment. "Janus," he said in his best teacher voice. "I believe there was something you wanted to discuss with Roman, or should I say, someone."

Roman sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Apathy. He's such an adorable thing, isn't he? And best of all, he's got your eyes!"

"How long has he been with you and Nero?"

"Since your wedding night. He showed up on our doorstep; he had been wandering the emptiness of the mindscape all alone," Roman answered, already looking very bored.

"He's been living with you for a month!?" Janus hissed in disbelief.

Roman nodded. "Well, yes. I tried to call you and Remus, but I suppose you blocked my number. Without being able to rise up and bring the matter to everyone's immediate attention, Nero and I tried to contact the others. Remy had us blocked, Virgil told me to Fuck off when I called, Patton asked me not to call him, and Logan wouldn't answer the phone," Roman glanced in Logan's direction as if trying to pass off some of the blame on the logical side. 

"It was our benefit that Emile decided to drop by. He seemed interested in doing some psychic evaluations of Nero and me. He got Remy and Logan, and the two of them have been working tirelessly to understand from where he came." The cruel side leaned forward across the table, a smirk illuminating his features. "And apparently, that's you and me, doll."

Janus sunk in his chair, his brave face faltering. It was so hard to pretend that Roman didn't get to him as much as he did. "So," Roman said, stretching and standing up. "Is there something else you want, or might I go home now?"

Janus jumped to his feet. "Wait! We still need to talk about what to do with Apathy! That's our responsibility, Roman."

Roman smiled, using the decorative mirror on the wall to fix his hair. "No, it's your responsibility."

"What do you mean?! You're as much his parent as...as..." Janus stuttered. 'As I am,' his mind finished.

"Look, Dee. If our record has anything to do with it, Nero and I," Roman sighed, as if it hurt his pride to admit this. That was something that Janus both found refreshing but odd. "-wouldn't be the best of parents for Apathy. Emile says I'm a narcist, Nero quite obviously is depressed and has anger issues, along with plenty of other mood disorders. While I do adore him, he can't stay with me."

Logan exchanged a glance with Janus. He was as surprised as Janus at the seemingly sourceless empathy coming from the creative side. Roman turned to face Janus, the boredom in his expression turned to a slight sadness. "So, while I am his parent, I want to spend time with him, as his parent, I have to say I would hardly be a good role-model for Apathy." His eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, an identical expression to the one Janus so often saw on his own husband's face. "Why don't you and Remus take him? I'm sure my brother would adore Apathy!"

"No offense meant, Janus," said Logan, straightening his glasses, "But I hardly think Remus or you are in quite the ideal state of mind to raise a child, nonetheless one that came out of such circumstances."

"Oh, none taken," Janus said dismissively. "But where else can he go? Not with them, and we can't just have him roaming the mindscape."

"No, you can't. I wouldn't allow it," Roman interjected. "How about you all have a nice talk, while Nero and I head home. Sound good? Great." Roman stood and walked from the room and back to the living room. Apathy sat in Patton's lap, playing with the puffballs on the drawstrings of the cat hoodie Patton usually left wrapped around his shoulders. He and Emile were exchanging some casual conversation about the toddler, while Remy and Virgil were busy critiquing Nero's bright Orange skinny jeans. Nero sat quietly on the couch, his expression unreadable, but it was clear he was not feeling good.

"Come on; love. We're going home." Roman said, and Nero got up. Apathy, upon hearing Roman's voice, grinned and jumped to his feet, after wriggling from Patton's grasp. He raised his hands, signaling to Roman that he wanted to be picked up. Roman shook his head, so Apathy turned to Nero, who looked away uncomfortably.

"Ro?" He asked, his expression confused. "I can't do the rise up or sink down thing grown-ups can do. You gotta pick me up." He seemed like he was stating the obvious.

Roman dropped to his knee. "Look, Apathy. We brought you along so you could stay here with these people."

Apathy shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes. "No! I wanna go home. You can't... you can't leave me."

"It's for your own good, Apathy," Roman said, though he seemed to lack the patience needed to continue this conversation much longer.

Apathy hung his head. "Imma see you again though, right?"

"Of course," Roman said. "Soon."

Janus felt a hot, tingly feeling in his chest. Roman had lied. Roman didn't believe he would see Apathy again, which made his assurance to Apathy a lie. Nonetheless, Apathy wiped his eyes, sighing deeply, and his face became expressionless. It was as if, in the blink of the eye, his upset feelings had vanished, something Janus found a bit creepy. 'He'd make a good liar,' Janus thought, but quickly pushed the concept from his head. "That's my little knight," Roman said, standing up and ruffling Apathy's hair.

He linked his arm in Nero's, nodded at Janus, and the two sunk out. Apathy stood staring at the spot where his previous parental figures had disappeared and then turned to face the others. Everyone was quiet. It had grown dark outside, and summer rain slid down the windows.

It was Virgil who stepped forward. He scooped Apathy up in his arms. "I'm going to go help Apathy find his room and tuck him in."

"But I'm not sleepy," Apathy insisted, but a yawn cut off the end of the word sleepy. 

The room burst into laughter. "Falsehood," Logan choked, having to lean against a wall.

Virgil grinned, taking Apathy away with him after getting the silent consent of Janus. The lying side wanted to tuck in his son, but the emotions of the day were starting to get to him. He needed to get home and talk to his husband, and Virgil understood better than anyone that the phrase "we'll talk later' or it's variants cause a lot of nervous feelings.

Janus excused himself from the room, sinking into the imagination, where Remus would be waiting.

__________________________________________________________

Roman and Nero rose up in their own castle. Roman wooped. "Fuck, that was exhausting." Roman said, shedding the coat of his suit. Nero turned, walking away.

"Hey, where you going?" Roman giggled, chasing after Nero. He lightly pushed Nero against the wall, pressing a kiss into his boyfriend's lips. "You're beautiful; you know that?"

Nero shoved him off roughly. "Ugh, Picani was right, you are a narcissist. We litterally have the same face!"

Roman rolled his eyes, taking a step forward in Nero's direction. "Aww, lay off it. You know that's not what I meant. Now come on, what do you say we have a little fun, hmm? No kid in the house, and it's been ages..."

Nero growled deep in his throat, pushing past Roman from where he had been cornered against the wall and taking a seat on the sofa of the sofa in the drawing-room. "You're disgusting; you know that?"

"Me? Disgusting? No, that's Remus. I'm the charming one!" He wandered over to the sofa, standing behind it and massaging Nero's shoulders. "Come on, baby; it'll be fun!"

"I'm not interested, Roman." Spat Nero. When Roman realized he was getting nowhere, he came and plopped down on the couch.

"Why not?"

"Did you ever think that I might be furious with you?"

Roman seemed taken aback by this. "What? Why are you mad at me?" He said, looking to be offended. "You've hardly talked to me since Apathy came along, and now that I dumped him off on Dee and my brother, you seem even angrier! What am I doing wrong, here, Wrath?!"

"Did you ever think about the fact that raping one of my old friends might put a damper on our relationship!? Or having a kid with him!?"

"Ugh, is that what this is about? You never seemed bothered before, why do you care now? You were perfectly fine with me giving Dee that love potion, you didn't pose any arguments!"

"Yeah, because I thought you were just going to break him and Remus up and kill your brother! It's tough for me to love somebody who acts like everything in our lives can just be fine!" Nero spat, his voice breaking. "And then there was Apathy. I don't even know where to start! I'm pissed that you had him, I'm pissed that you don't actually give a damn about him, I'm pissed that you've put me through all this shit, I'm- I'm..."

Nero rubbed his face in his hand, trying to hide the fact that he was crying. "I just wish you'd let me jump sometimes. I wouldn't have to deal with all this then."

Roman sighed, carefully sliding an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. "Nero, if I've done anything good in my life, it's saving your life. Don't try and take that away from me! I'm sorry I've made you so angry." His voice was soft and careful. He'd seen Nero have his episodes before. It was almost like comforting Virgil from an anxiety attack: just tell them what they need to hear to get them to stop being so upset. (Emile would've hated that philosophy, but it had worked in Roman's favor before.)

"It... it's okay," Nero coughed, taking a deep breath to stop himself from crying.

"Why don't I take you to bed, Nero? Let me make it up to you..." Roman said, pressing a soft kiss into Nero's neck.

Nero tore away from Roman. "Damn you; I should've known you still wanted sex! You're sleeping on the couch tonight, creativity!" He said, slamming the door behind him.

Nero tugged on his pajamas and lay awake in bed for what seemed like hours. He had felt so angry that Apathy had existed- but he found himself missing the kid. Him being around was better than being stuck with the man he both loved and hated in this dreary old castle.

He could understand why Remus had punched Roman, for he wanted to do the very same thing.


	28. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for this chapter- there is a discussion of suicide.

Remus sat on the couch in his squid onesie (He usually preferred to sleep in the buff, but he still had to talk to Janus that night), watching The Creature From The Black Lagoon and drinking a glass of vinegar. He tried to focus on the movie, but his brain kept slipping into those intrusive graphic ideas that floated into his mind regarding his brother's fate.

He wanted to drench him in boiling tar; he wanted him to be pecked to death by crows! He wanted Roman to suffer. And yet, he didn't. He had restrained himself from doing anything more than a punch in the jaw, but only because he had been struck by a realization when he saw his brother kneeling in front of him, like Einstein with the apple. 

When Roman had been crouched over, tensed for another blow, he had realized. His brother was sick. Not physically, no- Roman was overwhelmed by his delusions of grandeur; by the thought that he deserved so much more than everyone else. Remus had realized that, had their roles been reversed, Roman wouldn't have hesitated to kill Remus, because that is how he seemed to think the world worked. You're on top, or you get hurt. Remus could never bring himself actually to injure his twin. A smack to the head was one thing. But if he knew anything, it was that a sick person shouldn't be hurt more, they should be helped.

Remus took a drink of his vinegar as he heard the door click, and saw his husband enter. Janus looked so nervous, so sad, so tired. Remus stood, went over, and silently wrapped his arms around Janus, who had begun to cry. "It's okay, snakey! You're safe with me now; you don't have to worry about Roman anymore tonight."

"What about you, Remus?" Janus said, seemingly stunned by Remus's kindness. He rubbed away his tears.

"What about me, love?"

"You... you're not angry?"

"Angry? Janus, do I look angry to you? I'm more just sad, really than anything else. I'm sad this has happened to you that my brother is so fucking messed up... but I'm not angry."

Janus looked incredibly relieved as he pulled Remus in for an even tighter hug. He buried his face in Remus's shoulder, crying as Remus held him. "I saw how hard it was for you in there, keeping it together. I'm so proud of you; I know my brother's hard to deal with. Why don't we sit down and talk a little, okay?"

The couple moved to the couch. Remus snapped his fingers, and the TV turned off, summoned a large blanket to wrap around his and Janus's shoulders, and a plate of cookies Patton had made earlier in the day. When the two were comfortable, Remus grinned, trying to prove his husband's beliefs about him being angry were wrong. "So. Apathy."

Janus nodded slowly, wincing at the name. "Yeah."

"He seems like a great kid. I mean, I don't know a lot of kids. I was pretty young myself when Virgil showed up, and with my reputation, I guess it makes sense I don't get to hang out with a lot of kids." He took a bite of a cookie, but suddenly his face darkened. "He didn't go back with my brother, did he? I'd argue he's a lot worse than me."

"No, no!" Janus said, shaking his head wildly. "He stayed here. Virgil's putting him to bed right now. I... I couldn't."

Remus smiled softly. "Nobody's expecting you to be ready to be a parent all of a sudden, Janus. It's okay."

Janus shook his head, rubbing his face with his hands. "I don't have a choice here, Ree! Do you know what Roman said when I tried to talk to him about what to do with Apathy? He insisted that Apathy wasn't his problem because he and Nero were too unstable. He said," Janus reminisced, chuckling in disbelief, "that he thought you and I would be good parents."

Remus's eyes sparkled at the idea. "And you don't think we would be?"

"Logan didn't seem too."

Remus brushed the crumbs from his mustache, turning so he was better facing Janus. "I wasn't asking what Logan thought. I was asking what you thought, snakey. Now, of course, he is not my son, so what we do is not my decision. If my brother doesn't want to be a part of Apathy's life- probably for the best- it's up to you." The duke took Janus's hand in his, his thumb stroking the small patches of scales on his husband's hand. He sighed, exhausted, and finally met Janus's eyes. He lifted the liar's hand, pressing a soft kiss to his wrist. "You know I'll always support you, right? Whatever you want to do, I'll happily go along with it."

Remus stood, kissed Janus goodnight, and went to bed. The liar would follow later, he knew that. But for now, it was best to leave him alone- he needed to think.

__________________________________________________

Nero woke with a start. He was drenched in a cold sweat and was violently shaking, gasping for air. Roman was asleep next to him- apparently, he hadn't listened when Nero had insisted he sleep on the couch- his features illuminated in the moonlight that shone through the palace window.

"Go back to sleep, Nero. You had a nightmare." He murmured, rolling over. It didn't seem to bother Roman that Nero had had nightmares every night since they had been banished to the castle. Roman had gotten up to comfort him the first three nights, but didn't seem to care now, only that the angry side was disrupting his beauty sleep.

Now Nero climbed from the bed, his toes curling as they connected with the unpleasantly cold stone. He flicked on the lightswitch. Roman grumbled some profanities and chucked a pillow at Nero, but the angry side quickly grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe and left, turning off the light and leaving Roman to sleep.

The castle was still dark- it was so early in the morning- but it was not as if the hour contributed to the eery silence of the building. When Roman had lost his powers, the staff had disappeared- yet another sobering reminder of what had happened.

Nero tugged on the non-sweaty clothes in the bathroom. He hadn't paid attention to what he had grabbed, and so he had no choice but to pull on Roman's white uniform top, which was far too large. He had to roll the sleeves over several times, but at least it was soft and smelled nice. At least he could sport his own jeans, he thought glumly, before turning to see himself in the mirror.

The nightmares that plagued him were the same every night. Deceit stood in front of him, arm extended, the sword plunged into his stomach. The scar it had left burned slightly at the memory. And every time, he would look up, and it wouldn't be Deceit anymore that had stabbed him, but Roman. And Roman was laughing, twisting the blade and taunting him. It was terrible. "Why won't you die?" Dream Roman would always inquire, "We're sick of you." And so every time he woke up, he felt worse and worse.

"My Roman would never do that," he growled at his reflection. Nero splashed water into his face, trying to wipe away the unwanted thoughts of his dream. 

"Wouldn't he?" Came a response, causing Nero to jump. The Dragon Witch was leaned against the wall behind him, looking bored.

"How the fuck did you get in here?"

"I'm a witch, hon," they said, looking bored. "You look like you haven't slept enough, poor thing. Those nightmares are doing a number on you."

Nero sighed, rubbing his face with a towel and leaving the room. "How did you know I have nightmares?" he asked, making his way to the parlor. The giant stained glass windows let in so much moonlight he didn't feel the need to turn the lights on, only adding to the spooky effect.

"Do you really have to ask?" The Dragon Witch asked, rolling their eyes.

Nero shrugged. "Witch stuff, yeah yeah. But that doesn't explain why you're here."

The Dragon witch draped themself across the sofa, staring at Nero. "Roman doesn't love you, you know. I think you're bound to die because of it."

The wrathful side's eyes glowed a dangerous shade of orange. Anyone else would've seen that as a warning to leave, but not the witch. "You don't have the right to say that! You don't know our relationship."

The Dragon witch sighed, their gaze brave. "Perhaps not. But I know Prince Roman. His heart is cold and black, and he cannot love anything more than himself. He sees you as a trophy. Roman only likes romance because he likes the idea that somebody else loves him as much as he loves himself."

"That... that's not true," Nero stuttered, his worst fears presented to him on a silver platter. 

The Dragon witch latched onto this evident insecurity."You know it is. You are nothing to him. He keeps your company for no reason other than that you being alive and loving him boosts his ego, and that the different sides have enforced it. If the Prince had any say in the matter, you wouldn't be here."

"Roman loves me! He... he has too," Nero said, his eyes watering. His heart was speeding up; he felt as though he might cry.

"Roman is incapable of love, boy. He was going to murder his twin brother. Do you think a man like that would have any room in his heart for a pissy cowboy like yourself?"

"W-why did you come here to taunt me in my suffering, hag?" Nero hissed, turning away so the Dragon Witch wouldn't see his tears.

"You are trapped in a loveless relationship and this castle. If Thomas wills something to happen specifically, all my magic can not change that. But I can make it better."

Better? That seemed impossible. "Why would you offer anything good for me?"

"I enjoy watching the creative twins suffer. Now that Roman is not working to my benefit, why would I care anymore about him being content?" The offer hung in the air, waiting for a response. Nero wanted to believe that Roman loved him. That Roman cared about him. But it simply wasn't right, was it?

"What are you offering me?"

The Dragon witch smiled, their lips pulling back around their sharp teeth. "Death." The word caused him to shudder. 

"D-Death?" Nero stuttered.

"Yes. You don't exactly have much of a life anymore, do you? You have two choices here, Wrath. Live out the rest of your days here with Roman, who will continue to treat you like dirt, and one day, likely, he will kill you just as you saw in your dreams. Or, you can die now, save yourself the pain." It was not unreasonable, and that was what he hated most about it.

"Just think about it. I'll leave this with you." The Dragon witch stood, setting a small vile of red liquid on the side table. 

"What is it?" Nero asked.

"Poison, you dolt," chuckled the dragon witch. Then they sighed, resting a hand on Wrath's shoulder with mock sympathy. "Look. I'm trying to spare you some heartbreak here. It's for the best." And as quickly as they arrived, they were gone, lost to the swirls of dark shadows in the room.

"For the best," Nero pondered. Would it be?

He hid the vile beneath the sofa for safekeeping and wandered back to his and Roman's room. Roman stirred a little when Nero entered but didn't speak. The angry side climbed back into bed, pressing his body close to Roman's. His own body felt so cold all of a sudden, as if merely being in the dragon witch's presence had sucked the life out of him.

"Roman?" Nero whispered.

The creative side opened his eyes blearily. "What?" he said a little harshly, before realizing that Nero had been crying. His expression softened. "Is something the matter?"

"You... you love me, right?" He asked, his voice soft and broken. 

The creative side chuckled. "What do you think?" he said, capturing Nero's lips in a kiss. It was long and deep, and the angry side was so desperate for Roman's affection he was willing to believe that it was full of love... but deep down, he knew the truth.

"I hope that answers your question, love," Roman said when he pulled away, leaning back into the pillows and closing his eyes. "Why don't you get some sleep, okay?"

Roman was back asleep nearly instantly. But Nero lay awake a while longer, his mind racing. "Yeah. That answers my question, alright," he murmured and cried himself to sleep.


	29. Reliable Sources

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one is a little shorter, the next scene is gonna be kinda long so I wanted to split them up.

Patton had just performed a fantastic pancake flip when he heard a little gasp from behind him. He turned and saw Apathy, his eyes wide in awe. "Good morning, kiddo! Do you want a pancake?"

Apathy tilted his head to the side. "Is that what that is?"

The moral side gaped, nearly dropping the pancakes. "You've never had a pancake before? Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm making you your first one! I'm the best in the mind!" Patton made a show of flipping the pancakes a bit more before putting a plate on the table for Apathy. He climbed up into the chair with a little trouble but could reach the table well enough to eat.

Remus was the next one to enter the dining room. He took a seat next to Apathy. "Wow, you're eating like a starving wolf. You like Pat's pancakes?" Apathy nodded as he gorged, getting syrup all over his face. Remus reached over instinctively and wiped the crumbs from Apathy's chin. Logan entered, cleaning his glasses as he walked. He gave Patton a quick hug and took a seat at the table, Janus wandering in a few seconds after. Patton brought pancakes with him from the kitchen, joining the group for breakfast. Emile came in, tugging along Remy, who was still clearly half asleep, and they took seats. Virgil was last, shuffling into the kitchen like an ancient cryptid. He summoned a mug of coffee and slunk into his chair. 

It was a happy morning, or at least everyone tried to have it be. Apathy was very quiet, even when he had finished eating. He carefully studied each of the other sides, trying his best to remember all of their names. He turned to Remus and tugged on his sleeve, gaining the creative side's attention. "Is Ro coming back or not?"

Remus blushed uncomfortably, kicking Janus under the table and clearing his throat, nodding to Apathy. Janus, instantly realizing what had been asked, smiled encouragingly. "Apathy, Roman, and Nero decided it would be safer for you to stay with us."

Apathy looked down at his lap, clearly a little hurt. "That's not why."

Logan, who had caught wind of the conversation, straightened his glasses. "That's what Roman said, Apathy. He cares about you being safe, and it wouldn't have been a good decision for you to stay with him."

"He just wanted me gone. Ro didn't like me; he said I was boring."

Remus's brow furrowed with abstract anger. "He said that to you?"

"He said it to Nero. I heard it." Apathy looked up, not seeming to feel upset anymore. He shrugged his shoulders. " 'Guess it's good, though. I don't wanna stay with him. You're all much nicer."

Logan got the other's attention, quieting everyone's conversations. "Ahh, yes, regarding that. We need to discuss where Apathy will be staying."

Virgil nodded, taking a drink of his coffee. "His room was down in the dark side corridor, near my room."

Logan nodded, seeming to have expected as much. "Roman suggested Remus and Janus might take care of Apathy, though I don't see that as the best idea-"

"Why not?" Interrupted Janus, surprising the logical side. "Remus and I have discussed it, and we think it would be the best option." Remus smiled, his cheeks were rosy with pride. He was so glad Janus agreed with him. He had loved the idea of raising Apathy from the moment the prospect had been posed to him.

Logan bit his lip. "It's not that I doubt your capabilities, guys, I am merely expressing concern relating to the intensive stress you have been under lately."

"We just got back from a vacation, logic, and I think now's the best time."

"That is exactly why I ward against it; you haven't had time to deal with the consequences of properly-"

Patton's voice rose against the others. "Come on, guys, don't fight. Let's take a vote, okay? Who thinks we need to think of something else, and who thinks Janus and Remus would be a good choice." Logan sighed, knowing he was predisposed to lose, but how often did anyone listen to the logical side in the first place?

When nobody argued, Patton clapped his hands. "Okay, then! Who thinks we should find a different option? Raise your hands." Logan raised his hand, along with Dr. Picani. After a second's hesitation, Patton raised his hand as well. Three.

"And the others?" Virgil, Remy, Remus, and Janus raised their hands. Four. Logan sighed. Of course, all of the dark sides, now and former, had some blind faith that things would be fine. Why did none of them see that a chronic liar and a maniac weren't exactly fit to be parents? Nobody cared what the most qualified sides there had to say- a parent, a teacher, and a psychiatrist. But that was the way of things, wasn't it?

Emile blushed. "It's not that I think you're unfit, it's just that, as a therapist, I had to express my concerns. But we're all friends here; I'm sure everything will turn out peachy." He lowered his gaze, returning to his breakfast a little uncomfortably. Logan said nothing, instead of returning to his food. He saw Patton cast him a hesitant smile, but didn't speak any further. 

"Great! Hey Apathy," Remus said, leaning over to the little boy. "Would you like to see my castle after breakfast?"

Apathy nodded excitedly. "Oh yeah, please. It looks so much cooler than Roman's, even from the outside." This caused Remus to beam at the comment.

After the meal, Patton went off the watch cat videos. Remy was off to bother Thomas for a nap, and Virgil went to go keep him from taking a nap. However, when Janus and Remus tried to lead Apathy to see the castle, he hung back. "I need 'ta talk to Logan and Dr. Picani for a second," he mumbled, and the two other dark sides left them to talk.

When they were gone, Apathy stood on his chair, so he was closer to the adult's height and yanked them into a hug with that unique, undeniable charm only a child possesses. "Thank you."

"What? Why are you thanking us?" Emile asked as Apathy released them.

"Well, you guys didn't win the vote about where I should be living, but thanks for taking me outa Roman's castle. I hated it there." It was almost creepy to hear the little boy sound so cheerful about hating the place when just the evening before he had nearly cried at the thought of Roman leaving him behind. Apathy hopped down before he could get a response and ran out the door after Janus and Remus, leaving the two intellectual sides a little puzzled behind him.

"It makes me wonder," Began Emile, running his fingers through his hair.

"Wonder what?" Asked Logan.

"Oh, how he works and all that. Emotions are such a complicated thing- Virgil, Patton, Nero... he seems to change how he feels on a whim. It's strange for a child."

Logan nodded, walking towards the door. "Well, the child in question is Apathy. It's anyone's guess how his job, along with Roman and Nero's influence, affected him." the logical side readjusted his tie and left, praying that Remus and Janus would have a better influence on Apathy then Roman and Nero had.


	30. Stormy Afternoons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings!
> 
> Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts. By now, ya'll probably know what is gonna happen in this chapter. Good luck, my dear readers!

Wrath's pen scratched across the paper, probably engraving the desk beneath it with how hard he pushed. It was nearly impossible for him to keep his thoughts collected, his heart racing as he filled with a resolute numbness toward the plans ahead of him.

Dear Roman,

I loved you. I still do. But you don't love me. I feel so hollow- I've gotten so much worse since I tried to jump from your roof. Why haven't you noticed? Or did you not care? It's okay; I don't think it was all your fault. I've felt like this for so long, but I was holding on to this wretched life for you. I guess that was stupid. I'd apologize for doing this to you if I thought you'd care. 

I'm sorry to the rest of you for all pain I caused. This is long-awaited.

Sincerely yours,

Nero Sanders (Wrath)

Nero tucked the note in his pocket. He regretted writing it to Roman, but Roman was bound to be the one who found him. Nero left the study, wandering down the hall. Roman was sitting on the sofa, re-reading one of the Harry Potter books. The wrathful side grimaced. The vile of poison was stashed under there. He sighed softly. "Well," he whispered to himself. "You should say goodbye, anyway."

Nero walked up behind Roman. "Hey, handsome," Roman greeted casually, not looking up from his book. The wrathful side came around the side of the couch, sliding onto Roman's lap, straddling him. Roman raised an eyebrow, closing his book and setting it to the side. He was somewhat surprised, as Nero rarely ever instigated affection, and was certainly never this forward. Nero cupped Roman's face with his hands, pulling him into a deep kiss. Roman got over his shock quickly, chuckling as his tongue entered Nero's mouth. 

After a moment, Roman pulled back. "Not that that wasn't great or anything," he said, a little breathlessly, "But what's the occasion?"

"Do I need a reason to show how I feel about you?" Nero asked, standing up. He casually grabbed the vile from under the couch, tucking it into his pocket.

Roman smiled, seeming not to notice. "I take it that you forgive me for being pushy last night?" He asked, picking up his book again. 

"Of course," Nero said, making his way to the door. He paused at the frame, turning to face the creative side. "I love you, Roman." The words hung in the air, the weight of them pushed aside by a harsh, cold gust of wind blew open the french glass doors to the balcony.

Roman got up, latching them back closed. "Looks like a storm tonight," he said, staring at the dark afternoon sky. As if on cue, lightning came, a brilliant shock of white in the graphite-like sky, forking silently to the unsuspecting ground just outside the castle. The boom rattled the glass. The creative side whistled. "Wow. That's beautiful!"

"O-oh," murmured Nero, his face growing hot. Was it embarrassment? Sadness? Frustration? Maybe some combination of all of them, as Roman hadn't bothered to say he loved Nero back. The Wrathful side turned and hurried from the room, rubbing his eyes on the sleeves of his shirt- no, Roman's shirt, he thought angrily. 

Nero found himself in the library, all the way across the castle. The huge windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling on one wall showing a long, expansive view of the imagination. There was a storm brewing, he thought, though for the time being there were no new strikes near Roman's castle. He watched lightning strike far off, nearer to Remus's palace, about six miles away. 

However, Just when Nero's eyes had adjusted to the darkening countryside, the steel grey clouds melting into the newly monochromatic landscape, there came a brilliant flash that flickered and died. It was not a bolt, streaking to earth, but more like an almighty camera flash that blanketed everything at once, striking the east turret of Roman's castle, creating a small blaze that was quickly extinguished by the rain. Not even a second later, there came the rumbling thunder, and right on cue, the rain began to fall haphazardly from the sky as if it wasn't entirely committed to the idea of rain. Then all at once, it fell in great sheets, and there was nowhere to hide. Another flash burned into his dilated pupils followed hotly by it's cracking boom. 

Despite spending all his life fearing lightning, now Nero was not afraid, not remotely. Perhaps he had been afraid before because it was a force far mightier and angrier then himself. (Logan insisted storms did not have feelings, though Virgil would declare otherwise) Whatever the case, he simply wasn't afraid anymore. He might have been, another day, another life perhaps. But not here. Not now. Before, during a storm, he may have cuddled against Roman on the couch, listening to the rain as Roman read allowed from a book to soothe their nerves. Or, even longer ago as what had seemed like a distant dream now, he was with Sloth- now Remy, who made him hot chocolate as they watched some stupid reality TV show.

But now, he was far more afraid of the cruel and sadistic tormenting Roman was capable than some stupid weather.

Nero pulled out the vial of poison, eyeing it in the dim light. It was a sparkly, blood shade of red, something that glimmered even in the darkness, a warning sign in and of itself. There was no label on the vial, but it's very appearance screamed "POISON." Nero continued to stare at it as he fumbled with his phone, dialing one of the few numbers that didn't have him blocked.

Why was he doing this? Perhaps it was that some part of him wanted to live, or at least confirm whether or not he should die. Either way, he began to panic as the phone rang, but his fingers froze, unable to end the call. It rang three times before picking up.

"Hello?" came the father figure's cheery voice.

"P-Patton?" Nero murmured, relishing in the relief of hearing Morality's voice.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "Wrath, kiddo, I asked you not to call me again. I'm going to hang up now."

"Wait! Please, please don't hang up!" Nero begged desperately into the little electronic box. "Please, please, P-Patton, don't... don't hang up."

There was a brief silence. "Nero, are you okay? You don't sound so good. Did something happen?"

Nero struggled for breath, but panic was overwhelming him. "Is... is Dr. Picani there?"

"If you wait a moment, I'll grab him."

"Y-yeah. Okay." Nero choked.

There was some muffled talking on Patton's end. Nero stared at the bottle in his hand, his knees feeling weak. He began to pull out the cork when a new voice cut through. "Wrath? Patton said you needed to talk to me. Is something the matter?" Emile asked. Wrath tried to speak, but no sound was coming out. He gasped for air, tears streaming down his face. "Take a deep breath, please. If you can't speak, I can't help you. Breath In for four seconds.... Now hold it for seven....... now out for eight........ good. Let's do it again-"

"No!" He finally managed. "It's not worth it. I... I don't need to calm down!"

"Is Roman there with you? Why don't you talk to him? Surely he can help you calm down a little."

"I can't. Can't talk to him. He'll try and stop me."

There was a brief pause. Emile's voice began firm and commanding. "Nero, I'm coming to the castle to see you. Stay on the phone with me, don't do anything."

"What about life is worth living, Doctor?" Nero sobbed, taking the cork out of the vial. "There's nothing left for me."

"Nero, that's not true. What room are you in?" Picani asked, his voice a bit panicky but clearly still trying- and failing- to remain calm.

Nero didn't answer his question. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called." He pressed the vial to his lips and swallowed the entire thing.

"Nero? Nero!" Emile said, his voice begging for an answer. The Wrathful side gave none. Nero didn't know exactly what the Dragon Witch had given him, but it tasted like olives and citrus, burning his throat like spicy food. The phone slipped from his hand, the screen cracking as it hit the floor and sliding a little ways away, out of earshot. He felt dizzy and winded suddenly... and then his legs gave out. He dropped to the floor, completely lacking grace.

The door creaked open, footfall approaching him. 'Picani,' he thought. But it was not Picani who stood before him. Roman knelt, his eyebrow raised his brow furrowed: he was furious. "You son of a bitch! So that's why you were being all lovey-dovey, hmm? You were gonna go try and kill yourself?" Roman seemed almost angry, his eyes full of disgust. "I tried so damn hard to save you, you know. Despite how mopey and pissy you are, I did try. 'my life is so hard,'" he said, mocking Nero's gruff tone. "' I have a boyfriend who loves me, I live in a castle-' "

"Y-you don't love me!" Nero coughed, his head swirling. The room felt so bright. " You have the audacity to say that you tried?! All you ever wanted was some trophy! Somebody who would inflate your stupid ego! What am I to you but a complimenter and a good fuck?!" Nero rasped, his anger rising, but his heartbeat becoming more sluggish from the poison.

Roman scoffed. "I'd say Deceit was a better fuck than you, all things considered."

Nero knew Roman was intentionally trying to hurt his feelings. And damn, it was working. "Whatever!" He spat, "that changes nothing. I'm going to die, and you'll be here all alone!"

Roman cackled, his dangerous eyes filled with evil glee. "Aww, is that what you think?" He stood up, picking up Nero's phone. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the caller ID, but said nothing to Nero. Instead, he grinned, winking at Nero, and took a deep breath. "Oh... oh my god! Emile? Are you there?" He called, his expression changing so rapidly it was startling.

"Fuck you..." Nero murmured in amazement. He was such an incredible actor; it was sickeningly impressive.

Roman gave him a warning look to be quiet. Emile spoke again through the phone. "Yes? Roman? Are you there? I'm in the castle."

"Oh my God, Emile, he's... he's lying on the ground! I think he poisoned himself, he's unresponsive," Roman fake sobbed into the phone.

"No, I'm not you sick basta-" Roman put his foot over Nero's mouth to silence him. Had he been healthy, Nero might have killed a man for such disrespect. But, he was in no place to really do anything. Nero struggled against Roman; his mouth pinned shut by a red silk sock. It was wretched; his ears were ringing, a curtain of darkness beginning to come over his eyes. Roman told Emile where he was and hung up the phone, with lots of large crocodile tears and weepy stuttering.

When Nero found himself too weak to continue to struggle, he closed his eyes. Roman removed his foot, bending down to Nero's level again. Tears were trailing down his face, but he was grinning. "Aww baby, did you tiar yourself out? Good. I'm saving your life again, you know. You should be grateful."

"I don't want your fucking help!" Nero hissed, a wave of nausea hitting him.

Roman rolled his eyes, sighing harshly. "I'm not going to argue about this with you right now, Nero. We'll discuss this later. Come on," he murmured, scooping the other side up bridal style.

"No..." Nero weakly protested, "just let me die... Roman, please... if you love me, let me die!"

Roman bit his lip, carrying the side down the hallway. "Damn it, Nero. Don't make me do that. Come on, Emile's around here somewhere. What'd you take?"

"...Roman..." Nero mumbled, trying once again to get Roman to put him down, but the massive tug of the darkness finally overwhelmed him, silencing his thoughts.


	31. Boy If You Were Me, Could You Really Blame Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little warning, obviously there is a discussion of suicide in this chapter.

When Nero regained consciousness, he was somewhat disappointed in the fact that he wasn't dead. His mouth was dry, and his limbs were stiff, and his head was splitting with pain. "Fuck..." he murmured, sitting up slowly and rubbing his eyes.

Apathy was sitting on the edge of the bed, flipping through a picture book. "You're awake!" He squealed, closing it.

"You're here?" Nero asked, more of a statement than a question, but his voice was incredibly hoarse.

"Well yeah, Remus told me you were sick. I wanted to come 'n see you! I've missed you a lot." He said excitedly. "Are you okay now?"

Nero took a deep breath, pulling the blankets off of him and sliding his legs over the side of the bed. "Seems like it, sport."

"You absolutely are not," Logan said, coming into the room. He turned to Apathy. "Why don't you go show that picture book to Remy or Virgil?"

Apathy nodded, hopping off the bed, waving to Nero, and running out of the room. Logan sighed, taking Apathy's place at the end of the bed. "So," he began, seeming awkward.

"Whatever you're going to say, don't start, Logic. Seriously." Nero growled, rubbing his forehead.

"We can't just not address the issue here, Wrath," Logan said firmly. "If you don't want to discuss it with me, that's fine. But it can't be avoided." Nero stood up, a wave of dizziness washing over him. Suddenly Logan was standing there, and he realized he was gripping the logical's arm for support. "I highly recommend you..." Logan fished in his pocket and pulled out a notecard. "...take it easy. Your body has been weakened due to immense stress."

Logan pushed Nero gently back down, taking a seat next to him. "Roman wanted to be here when you woke up, but Emile decided that would not be good for either of you, all things considered."

"What things considered?" Nero asked, flinching at his own voice. He sounded meaner than he had meant to. He wasn't mad at Logan. It wasn't fair to treat him that way.

"Your note."

"...oh." Nero murmured, about to say more when the cough he had been repressing came to the surface. It was a gross, familiar cough, one tainted with the taste of iron. He put his hand up, trying to block it from Logan's view, but the logical side reached over and yanked his hand down.

He was clutching three deep red flower petals.

Logan couldn't contain the small gasp that passed his lips. Nero yanked his hand away, staring at the floor, his face contorted into a premature grimace as to whatever he expected Logan to say. "Oh, Nero... Hanahaki?" was all he could manage to whisper. 

Nero tossed the petals into the garbage, unable to meet Logan's eyes. However, when he spoke, his voice housed the shaky rage of a football coach who had just figured out the team who beat them cheated. "Yeah, I've got these god damn flowers again! So?! At least Remy had the dignity to respect me, to tell me he didn't want to be together anymore. And it hurt, but he was never like Roman! Roman, who just takes and does whatever he fucking pleases without caring who he hurts, and blames you for your own unhappiness! Roman, who acts as if he's so entitled to affection without giving any in return! And..." Nero sighed, rubbing his face in his hand. "And for some unexplainable reason, I love him after all of that!" 

Logan sat frozen for a moment, unsure what to do or say. Finally, he awkwardly put a hand on Nero's shoulder. "It'll be alright, Wrath. There are solutions to this, as we've seen with Remus and yourself before..."

"Yeah, either the shmuck loves you back, or you get it surgically removed. Here's the thing, Logic," he grumbled, standing up again. "Roman is never going to love me the way I love him," he said this almost flippantly, clearly focusing on sounding nonchalant despite his recent outburst. "And I refuse to go through with any surgery."

"What? Why?" Logan asked, standing up with Nero.

Nero grabbed his glasses from the dresser where they sat, ignoring Logan's question. He stared at the cracked lenses and then held them out to Logan. "Hey, do me a favor and fix these? I can't do the magic shit anymore." 

Logan took them, sighing, and tapped them. The lenses fixed themselves, and he handed them back. "It's not magic, Nero, just our abilities as parts of Thomas's mind. And you're avoiding my question. Why don't you want surgery?"

Nero put on his rarely worn glasses, fixing his hair in the mirror. "First of all, as you know the likelihood of me not dying in the surgery is slim to none, considering that this began back when Apathy showed up at the castle, and all things considered, I'd hate for you to be responsible for my death," he gave a tired smile to Logan, through the mirror, and turned back around to face him. "I was hoping poison might save me a great deal of needless suffering."

Logan shook his head, clasping his hands down on Nero's shoulders. "Thomas needs you, Wrath. You can't refuse surgery when there is any chance of you surviving this."

Nero brushed him off, walking to the door. He pulled it open, turning to look back at Logan. "That's a load of shit, and you know it. I'm surprised that none of ya'll are able to wrap your heads around the fact that being angry is a useless emotion. Nothing but trouble. Now, you coming or what?"

He asked, holding the door open for Logan. The logical side sighed and followed. "If it weren't for you, Thomas might have been figuratively walked all over."

If there was one thing Nero took pride in, it was his ability to debate, he smiled, despite the opinion that he was arguing. "Ahh, but because of me, Thomas has probably lost plenty of opportunities in fits of passion. Remember when he snapped at Rico because he told Thomas that he used to not support Gay rights? I have a tendency to overreact, which gets everyone in trouble, doesn't it?" 

"That problem was resolved, Wrath," Logan tried to say softly, but he was becoming a bit annoyed. He reminded himself that that was just Nero's presence affecting him, but it didn't flush the feeling entirely.

"Not before giving poor Virgil an anxiety attack," Nero said, but he suddenly stopped. He grabbed the wall, coughing into his hand. Nero scowled when he caught Logan staring at him.

Logan looped his arm in Nero's for support. "Come on, Nero. The others are in the parlor; you'll be able to sit down and rest in there."

Nero muttered some inaudible retort but begrudgingly allowed Logan to lead him down the halls to the parlor. His eyes were immediately drawn to Roman, who was leaning against the mini bar in the corner of the room, sipping a martini and watching the others like a hawk. When he caught Nero's eyes, he smiled, but there was clearly no emotion behind it. He quickly turned back to Remus, said something, and set down his drink, walking over to Nero.

Roman stopped a few feet in front of him. "Nero, I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so, so sorry I didn't find you sooner..." he said, his voice cracking a little with clearly (at least to Nero) fake sadness.

Nero allowed himself to be hugged by Roman- it felt nice, after all- to feel this love, despite him knowing it was an act. Suddenly, somebody came up and hugged his waist. Nero looked down to see Apathy, who had wriggled off of Remy's lap where he had been showing him and Emile his picture book. Roman chuckled, reaching down and picking up Apathy, holding the toddler against his hip. "Looks like we're both happy to see you're okay," Roman acknowledged, tickling Apathy's ribs. The little boy laughed, leaning into Roman for a hug.

The room seemed so uncomfortable. Nero was acutely aware of the fact that everyone was watching. Did they believe Roman's shitshow of sappy fake apologies and quaint parental displays of affection? It didn't seem so when he glanced at them all. 

Remus and Janus's eyes were filled with cautious distrust, watching uncomfortably as Roman held Apathy. Emile and Patton looked nervous, pity clear as they watched Nero. Virgil and Logan just looked pissed. There was such a gross feeling to it all- the room so thick with lies. But he couldn't make himself step away from Roman.

It was Janus who came forward, gently pulling Apathy from Roman. He turned to the room. "I'm going to take Apathy home for some dinner."

"We have a kitchen-" began Roman, but Janus shot him a look, and the creative side fell silent. 

"We're going home," insisted the scaled side. He smiled at Remus and sunk down. Nobody blamed Janus for wanting to leave. He despised Roman's castle and everything associated with it. 

Nero, finding himself feeling dizzy, took a seat on one of the sofas. Roman came and joined him, sitting uncomfortably close. Emile cleared his throat. "Roman, I think it would be best if you gave Nero a little bit of space, don't you?"

"Why? He's my boyfriend, and I want to show him that that note was wrong!" Roman insisted, but he yielded, standing up, finding a place to lean against a wall nearby. 

Emile turned back to Nero, who flashed him a grateful smile. "Now, Nero-"

"Please, I'd rather not have this conversation. I get it, ya'll are upset about what I tried to do, but I don't wanna talk about it."

"Nero, we have to talk about this," Virgil insisted. "But, and I think more importantly, why you tried in the first place." He shot Roman a distinct accusatory look.

"Me?" Roman gasped, his expression angry but clearly not as surprised as he was acting. "You think this was my fault?"

"Yeah, I do, Meta Knight. Do I need to remind you of the contents of Nero's note!?"

Roman stopped in his tracks, clearly confused. "Note? What note?"

Emile sighed heavily. "Virgil, we agreed that we were avoiding showing Roman the note-"

Nero sunk down on the couch. He had assumed Roman had already seen it...

Virgil pulled the note from his hoodie pocket. "Dear Roman," he began to read. Nero felt sick, avoiding Roman's eyes.

"I loved you. I still do. But you don't love me." Roman's expression continued in its confusion, but there were flashes of genuine sadness seeping through. Virgil seemed to enjoy this expression on Roman, clearly thinking he deserved it, so he continued. "I feel so hollow- I've gotten so much worse since I tried to jump from your roof."

Nero opened his mouth to beg Virgil to stop reading, but his lungs hurt, his attempts to repress his coughing failing a little. His eyes were watering from the strain; he needed Virgil to stop. He caught Remus's eyes- the only one who was watching him instead of his brother and Virgil. He got up from his barstool, coming over and putting a hand on Nero's shoulder. he knelt down. "Hey greasy, you don't look so hot," he whispered, taking in the fact that Nero was shaking a little. "Virgil," he said, turning to the anxious side, "You need to stop reading."

But Virgil ignored him. "Why haven't you noticed? Or did you not care? It's okay; I don't think it was all your fault. I've felt like this for so long, but I was holding on to this wretched life for you."

Roman was wiping his eyes, looking genuinely distressed. He, too, like his twin, was asking Virgil to stop. "I guess that was stupid. I'd apologize for doing this to you if I thought you'd care."

"Virgil, stop it," Remus said louder, and walked toward the anxious side. 

"I'm sorry to the rest of you for all pain I caused. This is long-awaited. Sincerely yours-"

"Virgil!" The duke shouted and snatched the note from the anxious side's hands. "That's enough."

Virgil glanced at Roman, who was genuinely crying, stifling his sobs with his hand. Nero, who was unable to contain the burning need to cough any longer, drew the attention to himself with that nasty, choking noise they had been all too familiar with, thanks to the duke.

Nero wiped his mouth on his leave, leaving a trail of blood. He stared at it, panicked anger on his face that everyone had seen. And then, he was up off the couch, running from the room.

"Wrath!" the room chorused. "Nero, come back!" But he couldn't bring himself too.

Both Roman and Virgil moved to follow, but Remus stopped them. "Don't! You've done enough," he growled as he, Emile, and Logan took off after Nero.


	32. Don't You Know That You're Toxic?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what to say here today. Enjoy, I guess? Just stay clean, fanders! Wash those hands.

Apathy sat across from Janus in the kitchen, eating a bowl of reheated mac & cheese Patton had made. It was a warm evening for fall, so Janus had opened the windows. "I thought you told Ro that you wanted dinner?" Apathy asked, drawing Janus's attention.

"Hmm?"

"You said you wanted dinner, but you're not eating," Apathy explained, shoving more of the mac & cheese into his face.

Janus shrugged and took a bite. "To be honest, I just didn't want to spend time with Roman."

Apathy nodded. "That's fair. You hate him, don't you? Morality says we shouldn't hate anyone."

"Yeah, hate is a strong word. I don't hate him, it's just... we don't have a history of getting along, he hasn't been very kind to me," Janus said. Apathy seemed to have more questions but didn't press it. "Let's talk about something else, shall we? Did you enjoy seeing Remus's castle?"

Apathy nodded. "It's prettier then Roman's," he said, grinning. "And warmer. And there are actually staff there." He tilted his head to the side. "Is Nero gonna be alright?"

"Well, he's not as sick anymore, so I think-" Janus began, doing his best to explain it to the little boy, but Apathy shook his head.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. When I hugged him, I could feel it. He was so sad," Apathy said, his face darkening. Suddenly he smiled, once again doing that 180-degree mood change that Janus found very creepy. "Oh! I know what would make him feel better! One time, Nero found a musket mounted on the wall in the observatory, and he showed me how to fire it! We made the crystal chandelier fall down in the dining room. Roman was really mad, but Nero seemed to have fun."

Janus sighed. "Leave it to Wrath to teach a four-year-old how to fire an antique gun." Suddenly, he felt a tug in the back of his mind. It was a summons from Thomas. "Hey, Apathy, would you like to meet Thomas?"

Apathy smiled nodding. "Oh yeah, can I?"

Janus nodded and smiled, getting up, and taking the little boy's hand. He rose up in Thomas's living room. "Oh, hey, De- Janus," Thomas said, smiling. His face contorted into confusion when he saw Apathy. "Who's this? A new side?"

Janus picked Apathy up, so he was at a better level to interact with the adults. Apathy waved excitedly. "Hi, Thomas!"

Thomas waved back, but his eyes shot Janus a perplexed look, waiting for some explanation. Janus sighed, smiling tiredly. "This is Apathy. He's the son of Roman and myself." This didn't seem to clear anything up for Thomas, but Janus wasn't in the mood for a discussion like this, and certainly not in front of Apathy. "We'll talk later. Now, why were you summoning me?"

Thomas, getting over the shock of seeing the little boy clad in pink, nodded, getting himself back on track. "I told Aunt Patty I was coming to dinner, but I really regret it. What should I tell her?"

Before Janus could answer, Apathy spoke up. "Why not just tell her you don't wanna see her? That's what I'd do with Roman if I didn't wanna see 'im."

Janus hugged Apathy, causing the child to giggle and squirm away from him. "Well, Apathy, Thomas doesn't want to hurt his aunt's feelings. So he wants me to give him some suggestions on what to tell her so she won't feel bad."

Apathy nodded, though he didn't seem to understand, and began playing with his hands. Janus set him on the floor at his feet and turned back to Thomas. "You could say that you're sick, that's likely the most excusable reason."

Thomas nodded. "Alright. Yeah. Do you think Patton will be mad if I lie to her?"

Apathy interrupted again. "Pat shouldn't be mad about you takin' care of your own needs instead of what Aunt whoever wants, right?"

Thomas looked surprised to hear that, but after mulling it over, he nodded, chuckling. "Aww, you're right, Apathy," he turned to Janus. "He's a lot like you, Dee." Janus smiled big at the comment, but Apathy flinched. He could sense that Janus was more uncomfortable with this comment then proud, as he was pretending to be, but it didn't bother Apathy.

Apathy looked up at Janus. "Can we go home now?" he asked, yawning. Janus nodded, bidding goodbye to Thomas and the two of them rising back up in Remus's castle.

Apathy was quiet as Janus helped him get ready for bed until he was finally in bed. "Janus?" He asked, his voice soft but curious.

"Yeah?" He asked, smiling at Apathy.

"Why do grown-ups always lie?"

Janus was caught off guard by the question, sighing heavily, his eyes wide. "Jeeze, I wouldn't say we always lie-"

"Remus told me that Nero was sick, but I could tell he was lying. Nero told me he was all better, but even Logan could see he wasn't. You smiled when Thomas said I was a lot like you, but that's not how you felt, was it?" Apathy said, his arms crossed. His eyes had this accusatory nonchalance that Janus had never seen in such a young person.

"What do you mean?" Janus asked, his face reddening a little. He hated being caught in lies, especially by a pre-schooler.

"Well, I can just feel it. When somebody does something different then how they feel, they're trying to act as if their real feelings don't exist. That's kinda what Apathy is- or at least that's how Logan explained it to me."

Janus sat quietly for a second, taken aback by the boy in front of him. "Maybe so. I guess grown-ups have a hard time talking about their feelings. Why do you think Thomas needed me to help him lie to his aunt? He didn't want to flat out tell her how he felt."

Apathy seemed satisfied with this answer, settling back into his pillows. Janus stood, reaching for the lamp chain on the bedside table, but the little boy stopped him. "Wait! Can you read to me? Yesterday, Virgil read to me. Nero used too."

Janus felt an awkward pang In his gut. He wondered just what Apathy's life had been like before he had come to live with Remus and himself. Whenever he talked about it, it was always happy memories with Nero, frustration toward Roman. He felt guilty in a brief moment. Not a day after Apathy had left, Nero had poisoned himself. Janus couldn't help but wonder if there was more than the wrathful had left from the note. Perhaps Remus would know when he got home, he thought.

Janus took a seat on the edge of the bed, smiling. "Of course! What did Virgil read yesterday? Is there something specific you'd like?"

"Yesterday, I told Virgil to read whatever he wanted, so he chose the poem The Spider and the Fly. You can pick!"

Janus sat quietly for a moment, thinking. He then waved his hand, summoning "I want my Hat Back" By Jon Klassen. He read to Apathy until the little boy was fast asleep, and then left- still waiting to hear from Remus.

____________________________________________

Nero was sitting on the floor, just a way down the hallway, his face obscured by his arms as he tried to make himself smaller. It was hard to run when you can't breathe properly and have recently ingested poison, and he hadn't made it far. Emile had been the fastest to follow him and was now kneeling in front of the wrathful side. "I'm sorry," Nero whimpered, "I just... I panicked."

"That's understandable," Emile said, sympathetically. "Let's just take a few breaths, alright?" The therapist guided Nero through some more breathing as Logan and Remus found them, settling down next to him.

When Nero had finally calmed a little, Emile spoke again. "Nero, I'd like to start having sessions with you. This being your second suicide attempt-" Nero mumbled something that sounded like a correction with a higher number, but Emile paid it no attention. "I think it would be best for you." The side nodded in agreement.

Logan cleared his throat. "And Nero, if you are steadfast on refusing surgery, perhaps we can find an alternative. An antibiotic, maybe..." he said, trailing off into his thoughts.

Nero wiped his eyes. "Why are you all being so... nice to me? I tried to get Remus killed!"

Remus shrugged, patting him on the shoulder. "Yeah, about that. Look, I'm not going to just let it slide, but you are one of Thomas's sides. And you were one of my bestest (Logan cringed at the word) friends. I want you to feel better." Nero smiled at him, his heart feeling a bit less numb then it had been for who knows how long. It was nice.

"Also, assuming everyone agrees, perhaps it would be best to separate you from Roman. As your note pointed out, he hasn't exactly had a positive effect on your mental health, Nero. I think being in your own room, with magic restriction (Logan also shook his head at the term magic, but Remus elbowed him in the ribs to stop being so dramatic) would be very helpful."

Remus and Logan agreed, but Nero was quick to find his own voice. "No! I- I can't. I can't leave Roman."

The other side's exchanged looks. "Nero, you wrote that you didn't believe Roman cared about you-" Logan began, but Nero stopped him.

"I think I was wrong about that! You saw, he was crying when Virgil read him that note. He's probably just no good at showing he loves me! That's okay; I'll just have to work harder then, give him opportunities," Nero rambled. 

Emile seemed very worried by this answer but didn't argue. Instead, he stood, sighing heavily, offering his hand to Nero for help up. "I guess we'll be going then. I'll contact you to set up appointments, along with the regular check in's."

Remus commented that he better get home, quickly sinking out so he wouldn't have to go back and see Roman again. Emile pulled Logan along with him at a quick pace to get out of Nero's earshot as they walked back to the parlor to fetch Patton, Virgil, and Remy. "I am deeply concerned by Nero's strengthened faith in Roman after this ordeal."

Logan nodded, pushing up his glasses. "So am I. When we were in his room, about to come to the parlor, he ranted and ranted about Roman's flaws, and yet-" The two shared sigh as they entered, Nero trailing a few paces behind. 

This didn't look good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nero, upon seeing a decorative musket on the wall:*stroking his stubble* Yes, I will teach vitally important life skills today. Apathy, come on over here, we're gonna take down Roman's crystal chandelier!


	33. You Pinned My Legs To The Ground With Your Feet And Demanded I Stand Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, ya'll! Sorry, this is a bit shorter than usual, but I didn't want to cram an angst part with a fluffy part in the same chapter. I promise, the next one will be happy, so bear with me. (:
> 
> Also, the title is a quote by Rupi Kaur.

When the sides were gone, Nero was left standing in the doorway, Roman watching the fire in the fireplace. Roman turned, wiping his eyes. He smiled sadly, looking a bit nervous. "Nero, baby..." He muttered, looking away. "I... about the note..."

Nero crossed the room to him, wrapping his arms around Roman's waist. "It's okay; I was wrong. I was so wrong, Ro, I know you love me!"

Roman's smile widened, his pupils reflecting the fire brightly. "You aren't going to pull any stunts like that again, are you?" His voice had the vaguest tone of threatening to it, but when Nero saw nothing in his expression, he smiled and shook his head. Roman's face darkened, his sweetness gone. "Good. I hate seeing all of them. God, Apathy was so annoying today. He kept pestering me about you, and I nearly told him the truth: You'd rather die than see him."

"Roman, that's not the truth," Nero said, a little hurt. "Apathy's a sweet kid; I enjoy spending time with him."

Roman shrugged, taking a seat on the sofa. He had returned to drinking his martini, watching the fire, clearly bored. "Why would you like him? He's my kid, not yours." The statement was some indirect challenge, Nero saw. Roman was testing him.

"When he lived here, I was a hell of a lot more of a father to him then you were," Nero hissed.

The silence was deafening. Roman took a long drink of his martini, setting it down on the side table and crossing his hands in his lap. His actions were only making the wrathful side more and more nervous. 'I fucked up, I fucked up,' he thought, his chest tightening with fear. At last, Roman spoke. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm sorry, that's not- that's not what I meant," Nero said helplessly, fiddling with the hem of hems of his shirt sleeves. He didn't want to anger Roman again. Roman had been angry when he found Nero poisoned, but he was sure his boyfriend could be far angrier. A funny thing, Wrath being afraid of Creativity's anger, having to dance around his wounded pride and easily upset ego carefully. 'He would never be angry at me without reason,' Nero reminded himself.

Roman smirked, but his eyes softened a little. "I'm glad. Now, come here, sit by me." Nero sat next to him, allowing Roman to sling an arm around his shoulders affectionately. Roman cupped Nero's face with his other hand. "You know, you're far more handsome when you're all sad and nervous than when you're sassy and, well, kind of a bitch," Roman said, leaning in and lightly kissing Nero's jawline. "Not that I want you to be nervous, darling. You shouldn't feel nervous with me, just relax. Let me show you how much I love you, okay? We can get that stupid Hanahaki disease to go away."

Nero melted into Roman's embrace, allowing the creative side to kiss him. It was so sweet, so loving- until Roman pulled away. He smiled, his hand trailing over Nero's thigh. "It scared me, Wrath. When I found you," he said quietly. "I'm so terrified of losing you; then your note... you couldn't possibly believe that I don't care about you, do you?"

Roman's expression had gone seductive, his hands slowly unbuttoning Nero's shirt. "I was wrong, Ro. I know that you love me-" and just as Pinocchio's nose was an indicator that he was lying, Nero found himself unable to hold in his need to cough.

Roman's eyes narrowed, and he quickly pulled himself away from the side. "Wow, you didn't have to lie to my face." Roman sat up, straightening his clothes. "I guess I won't waste my time then."

"You think being with me is a waste of time?" Nero asked, his voice cracking.

Roman leaned down, clearly amused. "What, are you going to cry, Wrath? Even Apathy didn't cry, and he was practically a baby! Don't be such a coward." He turned, seemingly planning to leave the room.

Nero couldn't contain how upset he felt then. "Yeah, Apathy never cried in front of you because he was afraid of you and how you'd react, Roman! He strived so desperately for your praise, and you were a total bastard!" His eyes were wet, so he propped his glasses up on his forehead to wipe them.

This was enough of a distraction that he didn't see Roman's quick approach or his fist come up. He did, however, feel the skull-rattling punch the prince delivered. Nero stumbled to the ground, more in shock than in pain. Wrath quickly found his footing, running off.

He heard his name being called, but it hardly mattered. Nero locked himself in the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, desperately hoping the dragon witch would show up, perhaps with something for him to take, or even just somebody he could talk too, anything that meant he wouldn't have to leave and face Roman again. His eye hurt, the blood vessel burst slightly; he would have a black eye. Nero slunk to the ground, hugging his knees.

'Why do I love Roman?' Nero thought, his face hot with anger and fear. 'It's not fair. He's so terrible to me- why am I in love with him?' He was a knight in shining armor and actor who could be whoever you wanted him to be. He was cruel when he was angry, but sweet as sugar when he wasn't. 'How could I ever be completely sure that Roman doesn't love me?' And that was the awful truth of it, wasn't it? He would be stuck, never sure if Roman really loved him, and that, he decided, was why he was going to choke to death now because of those flowers. 'I deserved it, didn't I?' I know I shouldn't pick on him like that. It was wrong of me to push him.'

He sat in there for a long time (an hour, maybe two? He didn't know) exhausting himself with tears of dread of leaving the bathroom. A knock jolted him from these thoughts. "Nero? Love? It's late; you must be hungry. I made you pasta! Come on out; I wanna talk to you."

Nero stood, shakily. He couldn't stay in there forever. He was going to have to face Creativity. With a deep breath, he opened the door. Roman stood, a bowl of pasta in hand, looking a bit smug to have so quickly gotten Nero to open the door. "Here," he said, shoving the bowl into his boyfriend's shaky hands. "Now Wrath, I let you have some time alone to throw your fit. You can see it, right? That you're anger issues are driving you to say the most offensive, inaccurate things? You really forced my hand there."

The wrathful side nodded, swallowing hard. 'So it was my fault,' the side thought, his heart heavying. "I... I'm sorry, Ro," he said though he wasn't sure if he meant it or not.

Roman smiled, wrapping his hands around Nero's waist. "Aww, I forgive you. Now, let's put this behind us. I'll go get you some ice for that eye, and you finish that pasta!" Roman said, giving Nero a peck on the cheek and hurrying off.

It was almost more lonely, Nero noted, to be in Roman's company than to be alone.


	34. Sweet Tooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha ha ha ha... (awkward laughter) remember when I said this would be a happy chapter? Well, I mean... er... sorry, I kinda lied about that.
> 
> Also, warnings for kinda unsympathetic Patton

Janus jolted awake so intensely that Remus almost dropped him. "Woah! Hey, it's me! Sorry, you fell asleep on the couch, I didn't want to wake you up just to go to bed."

"Oh," Janus said with a smile, curling up against his husband's chest as Remus set him down in bed. The creative side jumped onto the bed next to him like a stone falling to the bottom of a pond, sighing and yanking the blankets toward him. "Hey! Remus, you're making me cold!" Janus said, trying unsuccessfully to grab the blankets back.

Remus chuckled. "Guess you'll have to cuddle me if you wanna stay warm, Snakey!" He slipped an arm around his husband, pulling him close. They lay in silence for a moment before Remus spoke again. "Did Apathy go to bed easily?"

"Yeah, he was tired; I took him to meet Thomas. Then read him a story."

Remus wiggled a little, envisioning the event. "Aww, that's so cute!"

"He also asked me 'why adults always lie.'" Janus said, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at Remus thoughtfully.

"Well, you'd be the person to ask," Remus said, shrugging. "What'd you tell him?"

"Adults lie because they have a hard time facing whatever the outcome of the truth might hold."

Remus folded his hands behind his head. "You think that's why? I think my brother lies because he's a pretentious asshole who thinks he's better than everyone else."

"You and I both saw how he was acting around Nero. He lies to Nero to control his emotions. Nero's a variable to him, and everyone saw how hard he works to keep Nero under his thumb." Janus sighed, settling back down in the pillows. 

There was another stretch of silence. "I'm worried about him," Remus said at last.

"Nero?"

"Well, him too, but I was talking about my brother. He's driving away the one person who still loves him after everything that he's done. Nero already has his doubts about Roman; that's why he has hanahaki. It's like he's so sure he can fix Roman, and yet..." Remus threw up his hand dramatically. "He's gonna end up all alone. Serves him right."

Janus nodded, quickly falling asleep in Remus's arms, hardly paying attention to what Remus was saying anymore.

__________________________________________

It was 5:02 am when Apathy jumped onto Remus and Janus's bed like a mini cannonball. Remus yelped in surprise, which caused the little boy to burst out laughing. "Ree-mus, it's me!" he sing-songed, bouncing up and down. "Get up!"

Janus rolled over in bed. "Go watch some cartoons with him, Ree. Picani's always up ungodly early; I'm sure he'll have some suggestions."

Remus groaned, dragging himself from the bed and scooping up Apathy. He lifted the young side to sit upon his shoulders, and they sunk into the living room. Janus had been right, Picani sat in on the sofa, multiple books were strewn around him, deep in thought as he scribbled in his notebook. "What's up, Doc?" Remus asked, doing a horrible impression of bugs bunny. 

Emile looked up and laughed. "Hey, guys! What are you doing up so late?"

Remus tilted his head. "late? It's 5 am- wait, Emile, have you been up all night?"

Emile shrugged, cleaning off his glasses. "I guess I did, didn't I? I was so caught up in my work; I must have lost track of-"

"Remy's gonna murder ya. You know how much he cares about sleep." Remus set Apathy down, picking up the TV remote and flicking through the channels. 'What the hell do kids watch?' he thought, breifling wondering if Breaking Bad would be appropriate for a pre-schooler. 

Emile sighed. "You're probably right," he hummed, waving his hands, so his things disappeared. He stood up, stretching. "What are you going to watch?"

Remus shrugged. "It? That movie has clowns in it; kids love clowns." 

Emile sighed, pinching his nose. "No, no, no! That won't do. Here, why don't I introduce him to Steven Universe! You can go back to bed if you like."

Remus groaned. His bed and Janus sounded so inviting on this cold, foggy fall morning. But no, that wasn't fair to Emile. "Doc, you should get some rest," he began, but Emile brushed him off.

"I'm fine, Remus, but thank you." He sat down next to Apathy, turning on the first episode of Steven Universe. Remus slunk onto the couch on the other side of Apathy, but as soon as the theme began, he found his eyes beginning to droop.

Just as he began to fall asleep, he was woken by Patton, who has slid into the room on Heelys. "Morning, kiddos!"

"Ugh, you're an early bird too?" was all Remus was able to say, barely audible through his yawn.

Patton laughed and reached down to ruffle Apathy's hair, but the child ducked, deep in conversation with Emile about the show. "I sure am!"

"Why does Steven care about those lion lickers ice cream so much? It's just sugar." Apathy said, drawing all of the adult's attention to him.

Emile and Patton sputtered in confusion. "Just sugar?! Just sugar!?" Patton screeched. "Apathy, sugar is... well... it's the best thing in the world!" He spun around for dramatic effect. "How can a little kid not like sugar?!"

Apathy shrugged, looking back at the TV. "Oh, It's not that I don't like it. I've just never had it." He said it so directly, with such an adult-like conviction it made the others wonder, and not for the last time, just how smart the child was.

"Never had sugar?! You poor thing!" Patton said, seeming genuinely distressed by this news. 

"Ro was worried it would make me to rowdy," said the child, not bothering to look away from the show.

Patton looked to Remus. "I know it's early, but can I give him some sweets? Please? This is a special occasion!"

It took the creative side a moment to realize that Patton was speaking to him. It hadn't occurred to him that he would have to make real parenting decisions- at least not yet. And while he imagined Janus would ward against it, this seemed really important to his friend. And what could be the harm? "Knock yourself out, Patsy," he said.

Patton squealed, scooped up Apathy, who protested being taken from the TV, and carried him to the kitchen. Remus turned to make some comment about what he thought Patton would give Apathy to Emile, but the doctor was fast asleep, slumped over on the armrest, just in the last couple minutes. The dark side tossed a blanket over Emile and flipped the TV over to Breaking Bad. How long would it be until Janus let him teach Apathy how to dissolve a body in a bathtub...

_____________________________________________________________

Patton set Apathy up on the counter and began rummaging through the cupboards. "Why don't we make some of my famous cookies? That'll be fun!" He began gathering the ingredients as the child swung his legs back and forth, quietly.

After a moment, he spoke. "Why do they call you Patton?"

"Why that's my name, kiddo!" He said, smiling as he began to measure out ingredients. 

"I know that! I meant, why not Morality? Whatever that means." Apathy picked a red M&M among the cup that Patton had measured out for the cookies and staring at it boredly. 

Patton showed Apathy how to crack eggs before he answered. "Well, Morality is my job! I get to help Thomas do what is right! I help him treat others with respect and kindness, and help him to be nice!" Patton said, very enthusiastically. "Now, would you like to pour the m&m's in the bowl for me?"

Apathy nodded, slowly pouring them in as Patton stirred. He was quiet again for several minutes, watching Patton put the cookies on the pan and then put them in the oven. "I guess we're opposites, then."

"Hrm? You think we're opposites? Apathy, kiddo, Deceit- er, Janus, and I are opposites, not you and me." Patton said, brushing leftover flower of his hands.

"But that doesn't make any sense. Doing what's right and lying isn't always opposites. What if you're lying to make somebody happy?" Apathy said, tilting his head to the side.

"lying is wrong, kiddo. Even if you're trying to make somebody happy, when they find out, they'd be sad again. But let's not get into all of that, okay? I like your dad very much, and he can be very charming. We may be opposites, but we're friends too."

"What about Remus and Ro? They're opposites, and they don't like each other one bit," Apathy argued. 

Patton was beginning to feel exasperated. He usually loved kids, but somehow, Apathy was so... different. "Remus and Roman are different; they're really just one broken up person. They're opposites because they physically cannot have anything in common."

Apathy clearly didn't quite understand what Patton had said about Remus and Roman but continued on. "You said you're his emotions, his "Morality." His heart. I'm just the reverse. Why don't you see it?" Apathy asked his tone a little cold.

"Because!" Patton nearly-shouted, throwing a towel down on the counter that he had been using to wipe up the spilled ingredients. He took a deep breath. "That's just not the way it's supposed to be, kiddo. Look, if you really want to know the truth, I'll tell you, as long as you promise to keep it to yourself."

Apathy nodded slowly. "Good," Patton said, leaning close. "Now. I take it you've heard about how your father and Nero were banished to the imagination? They were not the only ones."

The child's eyes widened. "You mean-"

"There were other sides before you, and there will possibly be others after. Do not go prying into things you don't understand, Apathy, it will get you in trouble."

Patton sighed, taking the cookies off the pan as he continued to speak. "Listen kiddo; I'm not trying to scare you or anything. But if you insist on being a dark side, and trying to make Thomas a bad person, well..." he handed Apathy a cookie, warm off the pan, and took a big bite of a cookie. "You wouldn't want to get stuck with Roman again, would you?"

Apathy shook his head quickly. Patton smiled. "Good. Now, take a bite of your cookie, and let's go offer some to your uncle, okay?"

Patton took the plate of cookies, waving Apathy to follow. But the little boy stood there, holding his cookie tightly. After inspecting it for a moment, he took a bite. 

Apathy spat out the cookie. Just like Patton, the cookie was sickeningly sweet.


	35. The Honest Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read the Notes, Ya'll, I got stuff to say after this chapter, regarding spoilers for the latest episode.

It was, more or less, a very important day for Thomas. He had an essential role in a musical, and that night was to be the first show. It was an 'all hands on deck' sort of thing. Unfortunately for everyone, this meant Roman had to be called up. "Good morning, everyone!" Roman practically sang, rising with Nero. 

Roman was wearing a sequined red crop top and a light grey jacket with skinny jeans to match. It was a good thing he was so filled with confidence because he was clearly compensating for himself and Nero. The angry side, instead of half-shouting his entrance, waved courtly at Apathy, who sat on Virgil's lap. It was late morning, but it didn't look as if Nero had slept at all, the pale sallowness of his unhealthy complexion accentuated by a nasty purple-black eye. 

"Oh dear, Nero, what happened to your eye?" Patton asked, looking concerned. 

Nero smiled softly. "Hmm? Oh, it's funny really, I tripped, smacked my face on a desk," the side chuckled without amusement. Both his and Roman's eyes flickered to Janus, who had been combing Apathy's hair. Sure enough, the liar wrinkled his nose, detecting the lie, and glared daggers at Roman. But he said nothing, only shaking his head. 

Logan clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention. "Alright, everyone! Listen up! I'm only going to say this once: we have a busy schedule, and I expect all of you to stick to it!" He pulled out a clipboard, tapping it with the end of a pen. "Virgil, you've been giving Thomas jitters all morning; well done, continue to do so. Hopefully, it will keep him alert and punctual to the theater this afternoon."

Virgil gave him a thumbs up. Logan nodded. "Remus, Roman, Janus. You are all responsible for both getting Thomas ready and his performance quality; make sure he's believable onstage."

The couple glared at their team member, Janus going as far as to look slightly sick, but he said nothing. Roman did nothing but smile. "Patton, if you wouldn't mind, I need you to be the mediator today, alright? Make sure Virgil doesn't overdo it, and that these three don't have any problems?" Patton nodded enthusiastically, and Logan smiled warmly. He always felt better knowing Patton was supervising things- especially now that they were dating. Patton was just so... sweet.

"Good. Emile, I believe we discussed that you would be seeing Nero while the others are acting?" Emile nodded, trying to send Nero an encouraging look, but all that did was cause the side to shrink back behind Roman.

Remy sighed. "Guess I'm babysitting then?"

Logan turned to him. "Indeed you are, and so will I. You know I don't understand theater, this is their job," he waved at the others with his hand. "Now, any questions?" Roman raised his hand. "No? Not one? Great. Then let's begin our activities."

Roman sighed, rolling his eyes. He turned, mumbling something to Nero, and kissed him lightly on the cheek before running after Janus, Remus, Patton, and Virgil.

Now that that room was a lot emptier, Apathy ran up to Nero. "Heya sport," Nero greeted, yawing. "You good?"

Apathy shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. What about you?"

Nero knelt down to Apathy's level. "Oh, just bored. Gotta say the castle's a lot less fun when you're not around."

Apathy smiled, but it was clear his heart wasn't in it. Nero could see the child's small brain was working on something, so he stuck out his calloused fist. The little boy's eyes lit up. He fist-bumped Nero, which turned into an elbow bump, and then a high-five, and numerous other moves of a secret handshake, ending with Nero wrapping Apathy, who was laughing, in a big hug. "That's my boy!" Nero said, glad to see Apathy acting like more of a kid. It seemed to lift both of their spirits a bit.

Nero cleared his throat to prevent himself from coughing. "Nero? Will you come with me? We need to have our talk," Emile was waiting, leaning in the doorway, clearly impressed (as were Remy and Logan) by the elaborate handshake. Apathy released Nero from the hug, and the wrathful side stood, winking at the little boy. "See ya later, 'aight?" Nero said with a sad smile and followed Emile away.

Finally, he turned to Logan and Remy. "So, what now?"

Remy shrugged, settling down on the couch. "Whatever you wanna do, App."

Apathy tilted his head to the side, thinking for a moment. He looked up at Logan. "Aren't you a teacher?"

Logan blushed a little, proud of himself. "Why yes, yes, I am."

"Can you teach me some things, then? That might be fun," Apathy said.

Logan looked thrilled. "Why, I haven't taught children since Thomas's vine days! This will be highly enjoyable. Let's go to my room; Come along, Remy," he said, taking Apathy's hand to help him rise up in the logical side's room. Remy showed up a second later, sighing.

Logan's room was spotless, the walls decorated with star charts, anatomy diagrams, and periodic table posters. For quite a while, Logan let Apathy walk around the room, asking what his models and diagrams were. It truly was a beautiful room-the carpet was a deep blue in all but one spot, this having a mysterious orangish stain on it. Remy pointed it out, jumping onto Logan's tightly made bed and summoning a Starbucks. 

Logan sighed, summoning a chair for Apathy. "I never could get that love-potion stain out. But we're not going to discuss that right now; I want to know what Apathy would like to learn." He looked to the little boy, sitting in front of him.

Apathy crossed his arms. "I have questions. About the mindscape and things."

Logan nodded, summoning a clipboard and a chair for himself. "That's understandable, as it is the most applicable to your own life. What is it you want to know?"

"What happened to the other sides before me?" Apathy asked. Remy choked on his drink, and Logan was stunned for a moment.

"Who told you abo-"

"Patton did. I asked him if I was his opposite, and he said that if I messed around with things, I didn't understand I'd end up like them," said the little boy. "So, I want to know."

Logan frowned, making uncomfortable eye-contact with Remy. It was Remy who finally spoke. "That's pretty dark, App. But I suppose you have the right to know."

Logan stood quickly. "We should ask Janus and Remus if they're comfortable with us discussing such a matter with him first; they are his guardians."

"Oh, pfft. They were my family! If I don't have a problem talking about it, they won't."

Apathy watched the two sides fight, and when it seemed Remy was caving to Logan's decision, he spoke up. "Fine, fine, you don't have to tell me. I'll just ask Roman about it later; I know he'll tell."

Logan sputtered. "Roman's judgment is incredibly skewed! You can't do that!"

Apathy shrugged, smiling somewhat manipulatively. Out of the corner of his eye, Apathy saw Remy tilt down his sunglasses, clearly studying him. Logan sighed, aware of the predicament he was in. "...fine."

Remy took a long drink from his Starbucks before finally speaking. "So Apathy, first thing's first. The reason that sides are banished is that they are trying to hurt or have hurt Thomas. You'll never do that, you don't have to worry," Remy said, smiling reassuringly.

"Now it's your old man Deceit's job to make sure that Thomas grows up at the right place. Thomas needed to learn new things about himself when he was mature enough to handle it. Some sides didn't like this idea, specifically, Honesty."

"Honesty?" Apathy echoed.

"Yes," Logan answered, looking almost nostalgic for a moment. Then he snapped back to the present. "Honesty wanted everything to be clear to Thomas, even if that meant potentially hurting him. When the rest of us didn't agree, he gathered some dark sides with him, hoping to take over the mindscape."

Remy bit his lip, pushing his glasses up so his eyes couldn't be seen. Apathy could feel, however, the aura of sadness around him. "That was my family. The seven deadly sins. Wrath and I were the only ones who didn't agree to join Honesty, and that's why we're the only sins left who weren't banished."

Apathy held out his fingers, muttering as he counted. After a long moment, he looked up. "So, there are six banished sides out in the imagination?"

"Eight, if you count your father and Nero."

Apathy sat quietly for quite a while. "Why would Patton say that I might end up like them?" He felt sad inside but did not let himself show it. He had liked Patton at first. Clearly, Patton didn't like him back- a hard thing for a kid to learn.

"I don't know why Patton says or does anything," Logan said with a sigh, looking mildly annoyed with his boyfriend. "I think he was just trying to look out for you. Those sides are dangerous. Roman and Nero, though you may not want to believe it, can be dangerous too. We just want you to be safe."

"His cookies are gross," Apathy blurted, at which Logan laughed lightly.

"They are quite over flavored, aren't they? If only you'd seen him during the month, Thomas tried to go sugar-free, he was devastated."

Remy stood up and stretched, checking his phone. "I'm going to go check on Emile and Nero. They should be done."

Logan nodded, waving a hand to shoo him off. "Now, what should I teach you? I was thinking-"

"Oh yeah!" Apathy interrupted. "Virgil was telling me to ask you to teach me to read. He said 'it's an essential life skill that might save you one day,' or something like that."

Logan looked almost surprised. "You don't know?"

Apathy shook his head as if memories were bringing about a bitter taste. "Roman tried to teach me, but he got bored."

The logical side looked unsurprised but clearly also unhappy. "Of course he did. Well, trust me, I won't stop trying until you can read as well as I can!" The prospect seemed wonderful to him. "Oh! I know some excellent 'learning to read books,' I assume the resident 'dad'-side will still have them from when Thomas himself learned to read. If you wait here for a few minutes, I'll grab them." Apathy nodded, picking up a Rubix-cube, and the logical side sunk out.

It's incredible how fast a child can get bored. After Apathy messed up the solved Rubix-cube for a minute, he set it down. The young side made up his mind to go see if he could find Virgil- Virgil was fun. Virgil always liked to show him memes, or read to him, or play fun music. Sure, Logan had said to stay behind, but certainly hanging out with one of the older sides would be more fun than waiting around.

Apathy took a deep breath, squeezing tight his eyes and flexing his palms, and focused on the common rooms. Having never teleported on his own before, he wasn't quite sure how it would work. Unfortunately for Logan, who was just arriving back, it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, YAY NEW VIDEO! Got to say, really pleased. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that my girlfriend, Riveroot_Nightshade, had been right all along. Seriously, what a perfect guess. Boy, was that a shock. I am both legitimately spooked that she guessed the name, and grateful because otherwise I was going to have to go back and fix it all, and I certainly didn't want to go go back and edit THAT many chapters. Anyways, I just wanted to give recognition of my joy on that subject matter. 
> 
> Happy reading, everyone!


	36. Walking My Days On A Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I wasn't expecting to get another chapter done this fast, but I guess the episode left me really inspired. Here ya'll go! The title is a line from the song "Cherry Wine" by Hozier if anybody was wondering.

Emile avoided his usual new-patient performance as he led Nero into his office. It was almost awkward to have the dark side sitting stiffly on the couch across from him. But this was his job, anyway. And if he was slightly uncomfortable working with someone he knew, Nero probably felt ten times worse. So, he gathered a pen and his usual notepad, smiled at Nero, and leaned back in his chair, hoping to make the atmosphere more welcoming. Well, if the excessive cartoonish decoration wasn't welcoming, he wasn't sure what was. "So," Emile began, adjusting his glasses upon his face. "Do you how do?"

"Today or in general?" Nero asked, his tone flat. He didn't seem to want to be there very much. At least, Emile thought, that was something he knew how to work with.

"Let's start with right now, Nero. How are you feeling? Mentally, physically, emotionally," the doctor prompted.

Nero fiddled with the hem of his shirt, choosing his words carefully. After coughing a few times, he spoke."I feel... lonely. Do you know how that is? To feel like, even when you're with people, you're all alone?"

Emile nodded. "Do you feel lonely in Roman's company?"

Nero shrugged. "I didn't use too. I think looking after Apathy was my distraction; I could ignore how I felt if I was worried about how he felt. Now, I'm so much more aware of how... shallow Roman is."

"I can tell how much you care about Apathy. You're like the Tony Stark to his Peter Parker! When he lived with you and Roman, did you feel Roman felt the same way about Apathy as you did?" Emile asked, his pen skirting across his paper, a faint smile on his lips from the cinema connection he had made.

Nero gave another shrug. However, Emile could see that the side did have thoughts on the matter. It seemed, almost, that he was afraid of saying it allowed. "I... I don't know. Roman never really tried. He seemed to get bored really quickly when he spent time with Apathy. He didn't make any effort at all, and yet still expected adoration."

Emile sat quietly for a long moment. Nero flinched when he saw Emile's eyes light up with an idea. "One thing I've learned, from being around Virgil especially, is that sides who represent emotions- anxiety, wrath, apathy- tend to bring about those feelings just by being around. You saw this when you met Thomas for the first time, and you being in the room caused Janus and Remus to fight."

"Are you saying that Apathy is what made Roman so... indifferent?" Nero said, pausing to digest the information. "I guess that makes some sense. He's been so much more... 'extra' without Apathy around. But what about Virgil and me? He doesn't seem to affect us."

"Well, you're emotions as well. This isn't a science, you understand—just my theory. But I have noticed that Remus is significantly more mellow when he's with Apathy- though unlike his brother, this doesn't translate to boredom. I can't quite say for Remy, but I imagine Logan would be the least affected, what with his insistence that he 'doesn't feel anything' already. Similarly, a moral indifference might be needed for lying, so Janus may not feel his effects in the extreme..." Emile hummed, thinking hard. "I can imagine Patton would be just as affected, if not more than Roman, what with him being so... emotionally driven." The doctor smiled, waving his hand. "I'm getting a bit off-topic. But the long way around is really just me pointing out that Apathy certainly made things feel easier, didn't he?"

Nero nodded, sinking down on the couch a little. "I'd say so," was all he offered, pausing to cough again.

"Nero, may I ask how long you were feeling suicidal before your recent attempt?" Emile tried to ask softly, to be trustworthy. And yet, Nero looked so uncomfortable.

"I don't- I don't know. I think I have been since..." he looked off around the room as if he was trying to stimulate his memory. "Jeeze, since Honesty was around? Loosing all the other sins, it hurt somethin' awful. It felt so dark... but it was Remy who stopped me that time," he admitted, wincing as the words passed his lips. "I felt a little better for a time, but never like I had been before. And then the rest of the dark sides split, Paranoia ran off to the light sides, Rem..." came to you, he wanted to say. Emile seemed to know, without words, what he meant. He nodded softly, prompting Nero to continue.

The wrathful side felt hot, finding that breathing was slightly tricky. But, he knew Emile wanted to help him, and how could he help if he didn't know the truth? "Well, I had Hanahaki, and Roman seemed to care. So I didn't that time either. I was willing to ignore what he was doing, but I shouldn't have. And now, I'm in so deep..."

Dr. Picani shook his head. "Nero, you're never too deep in for apologies and retribution. It's certainly can be more difficult, but I know I can help you feel better, alright? May I ask what prompted your most recent attempt? Was it Apathy leaving, or something else?"

Nero sighed. "I think that was part of it. Like I said, I became aware of just what Roman seemed to want me for. The dragon witch supplied me with the means to my own end, and I jumped at it."

"And yet, Roman saved you," Emile offered.

"I didn't want him too," Nero said, trying to stop himself from coughing again.

The therapist brushed back his hair. "Hmm. Well, I want you to look at it this way for me. Of the three times that you described to me, every time you were stopped. Why do you think that Remy and Roman have been so dead set on saving your life?"

"Pity, with Remy. Roman just didn't want to be alone without his 'number one fan.'" Nero said, rubbing his slightly damp eyes.

"I don't think that's the reason, Nero. I think, in all honesty, that they saved you because they care about you. Even Roman, despite his... unconventional ways of showing it, loves you."

Nero's face went blank, trying to understand what Emile was saying. He leaned forward, his elbows propped on his knees, gripping at his greasy hair a little. "I... how can he? When he... when he does things like this!?" Nero sobbed, pointing to his black eye.

Emile sighed, leaning forward to face Nero. "Look, I am not saying that because Roman has feelings for you, he is a good match. He does love you, but this relationship is not healthy when he is both psychologically and physically abusive toward you. It is my goal to help you come to terms with this, as a way of both you getting over your Hanahaki, and to remove you from a harmful situation. Are you willing to pursue this?"

Nero bit his lip, nodding as he rubbed away his tears, coughing and hiccuping as he tried to force himself to stop crying. "It's okay to cry, Nero. Sometimes, it can be therapeutic. We can have as many sessions as you need."

The wrathful side tried to stop himself for a moment more, but when he was unsuccessful, he allowed himself to continue. "T-thank you," he choked between his quiet sobs.

"Of course," Emile said. "And remember, the offer still stands. You can always move back into your room if you need some time away from Roman." Nero didn't answer this time, and they sat in the room, quietly allowing the moments to tik by as Nero allowed himself to feel the emotions he had repressed for such a long time. 

Nero managed to calm himself, just as the session was supposed to end. "I can see why R-Remy likes you so much. You're a hell of a guy," the Wrathful side chuckled, taking a deep breath and rubbing his bleary eyes.

"Thank you, I try," Emile said, blushing as he smiled. He stood, offering a hand to Nero. He was pulling the side to his feet, just as there was a soft rap on the door.

Emile opened it, him and Nero stepping out into the hallway. Remy was there, sipping his Starbucks. "Hey, babes. Everything Gucci?" He asked, his eyes flickering to Nero's flushed face. The side nodded, and to both Emile and Remy's relief, his nod seemed genuine.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Apathy, dear?" Emile asked.

Remy shrugged. "Eh, I wanted to come to see you. And Logan's got him, anyway, I'm sure everything's just fine."

As if he had been summoned, the logical side rose up, behind Wrath, who jumped, cursing grotesquely before cascading into a coughing fit. "I lost Apathy," Logan said, his eyes wide with concern.

"I'm sorry, you did WHAT?" Nero wheezed, still bent over. "Why can things never go how they're supposed too?!"


	37. Goodnight, Sweet Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know what to say about this chapter. I'd say it is a bit more 'feel-good' than the others (for the most part) but you tell me, I wouldn't go as far as to call it fluff.
> 
> -also, warning for some graphically described violence.

Apathy felt a lurch in his stomach as he rose in the commons. According to Virgil, it was a bit nauseating the first time- and he had been entirely correct. Apathy took a moment to gather himself, taking a long breath as the feeling passed, and began looking for the other sides.

Nobody seemed to be about. Logan had said they would be working with Thomas all day, hadn't he? And so, Apathy rose once again, this time in the real world. Thomas was in a king's outfit, a dramatic crown upon his head, a bejeweled scepter in his grip. Apathy wondered who he was playing.

Roman, Remus, and Janus were all standing around him; they were all talking at once. "Now, remember the blood is fake, so don't be sick," Remus reminded. "But do pretend to be surprised."

"You have to say your lines with feeling, Thomas, that's the only way the audience will believe you," Deceit said, flipping through a script. 

"And Thomas, I'll be there helping you through each act of Macbeth!" Roman said, throwing up his hands in that proud, princely manor.

"Boo," came a bored, sullen voice from a chair that the group had been blocking from Apathy's view. "Don't be so cocky, Roman. Remus could do your job; you're not special. You're full of shit, and we all know it. Thomas, do you know all your lines?" It was Virgil! Thought the young side in excitement. He was sitting in a chair that was masked by the dark of the backstage, out of sight of the others but with a good view of the stage. It was a bit ominous, but that was hardly a bother.

"I... er..." Thomas mumbled, seeming to doubt himself suddenly.

"Of course he does, kiddo!" Patton said, walking in. "You've got it, Thomas. Now, everyone, Thomas has got to get on stage. Stop fussing." Apathy rolled his eyes at the overwhelming pep in Morality's tone but was too excited to see Virgil to really dwell on it. Thus was the one-track sort of mind that children often have.

Apathy grinned, making his way across the makeup room. The child had wanted to say hi to his family, but they were to busy shoving Thomas onto the stage to take notice, so he went over to Virgil.

"Vee!" he exclaimed, jumping into Virgil's unprepared arms. The anxious side yelped, just barely catching him.

"What are you doing here, little man? You were supposed to stay with Logan and Remy!"

"I got bored!" Giggled Apathy, wriggling his way, so he was half tucked in Virgil's hoodie with him. "Can I stay, Virge? Pleeease?" He begged, giving puppy-dog eyes. 

Virgil sighed, looking around. Thomas was just going on stage. "Oh, fine. You got to be quiet, though, okay?" Apathy nodded, very excitedly. He played with Virgil's hoodie strings as Thomas walked on stage, vaguely listening to the play. 

When the act began, there was a loud roar from the audience, cheering manically. 'It was so, so loud,' Apathy thought. 'Everyone needs to chill out. To just be quiet, relaxed. How can there be a show if everyone's so loud?' Apathy held his hands over his ears, his eyes watering—the thoughts to dampen the noise replaying in his head over and over. The little boy didn't realize just what he was doing.

He was vaguely aware of Virgil, petting his hair. "You just have sensory overload right now; everything will be fine. It will quiet down, and don't worry; I'll warn you whenever it's supposed to be loud again." But it was simply not enough. Apathy continued to wish that everything would be still, would be quiet.

"What bloody man is that? He can report," began Thomas, but the color seemed to drain from his face. He lost the thrilling energy he had possessed when he walked on stage, his voice flattening. "As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt..." Thomas said. 

"What the Hell?" Roman exclaimed though it was no issue as none of the other humans could see or hear him. "What's going on?" He said, spinning to Remus.

Remus shook his head, just as baffled. "O, valiant cousin! worthy gentleman." Said Thomas numbly, sounding practically robotic.

'There,' Apathy thought to himself. 'This is far more peaceful.' Well, except for the fact that Roman was gripping at his hair, cursing intensely. Virgil picked Apathy up, standing and setting him back down in the chair. "I need to go check this out, okay? I'll be right back."

"Don't tell me this is your fault!" Roman said, jabbing his index finger into Virgil's chest accusingly. 

Virgil slapped Roman's hand off of him. "It's not, so stop being such an ass. What's going on out there; you're creativity!"

"I don't know! Remus, you're creativity too; you must know!" Roman whined, growing desperate.

"He doesn't know." Janus insisted before Remus could answer.

"I didn't ask you, Deceit! Thomas is falling apart out there, and I'm not the one ruining his performance, so who the fuck is?!" Roman was sobbing dryly and pacing, seeming the most genuinely full of emotion that Apathy had ever seen of his father. 'He didn't even care so much about me, and yet Thomas calming down is making him mad?' Apathy couldn't understand. He didn't know how his power worked. Hell, he hardly knew all of the side's names and what they represented yet.

Suddenly, Nero rose up. He hardly looked in Roman's direction, despite his boyfriend calling out to him. Nero spotted Apathy through the dark, rushing forward and dropping to his knees. "Oh, Apathy, are you alright? I was so worried; we were looking all over for you!" Nero looked him over and seeing that the little boy was unharmed, relaxed.

"I'm fine, Nero!" Apathy laughed, allowing Nero to pick him up. Logan, Remy, and Emile rose a little ways away, all three visibly relaxing when they saw that Nero had found Apathy. Roman stomped over, throwing up his hands and shouting at the trio, waving in the direction of Apathy.

Nero glanced at Roman, swallowing as he took in just how angry Roman was, and turned to distract Apathy. He took off his jacket, wrapping it around the pre-schooler's shoulders. "Hey, sport, you can't be here right now, your parent's are trying to work."

"But, I wanna see the show!" Apathy insisted.

Nero shook his head. "You can't do that right now, you being here makes it hard for Janus and Remus and Roman to help Thomas act." He paused, seeing how hurt Apathy seemed to be. Quickly, he back-peddled. "Why don't you and I go watch a movie, alright? I'm sure Emile will have plenty to choose from, and I can make you a snack-"

His voice died off as Roman yelled, pushing past Emile and stomping over to Apathy. "It was you! You ruined my show! You probably ruined Thomas's whole career!" He shouted.

Nero put Apathy down, and Apathy stepped back, away from Roman. "The show is hardly underway, I'll take him with me, and everything will be fine. Don't yell at him Ro; he didn't mean to-"

"Oh shut up, Nero, I wasn't talking to you!" Roman spat, looking back to Apathy to continue his scolding.

It stopped him in his tracks when Nero shoved him. It wasn't hard- it was really just a put-you-in-your-place sort of shove, but the effect it had on the room was brutal. Roman looked furious but was too shocked to do much more than stutter. 

Nero took a deep breath and then stole the opportunity to speak. "No, you listen to me! You can't treat people like shit just because you don't like that they have feelings, or make their own choices! You can't treat your son like this!"

Roman chuckled, getting over his initial shock. "I'm sorry, why do you care how I parent, Wrath? It's none of your god damn business, so stay out of it!" He raised his hand, smirking wickedly when he saw Nero flinch. "That's what I thought. Know your place, Nero. And as for you," he said, turning to Apathy, who was backed away as far as he could, his hands clasped over his ears. 'It was too loud- all the shouting; too aggressive.' Roman didn't seem to care, especially when he spoke again. "I wish you had never shown up in the mindscape."

And just like that, Apathy was shattered. It was as if those words had utterly knocked over the deck of cards that was his self-confidence. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he quickly sunk away. The effect was immediate- Thomas's acting became sincere again as if nothing had happened.

"Apathy!" cried Janus, him and Remus exchanging worried looks as they sunk into the mindscape to look for the little boy. The others watched, all of them acutely aware of the storm of emotion that was brewing between the unhealthy couple.

"You son of a bitch!" Nero shouted, his eyes wet. He threw a hefty punch like a boxer, landing it directly in on Roman's eye. The creative side fell to the ground, groaning. "There, now we match!" He shouted, his voice full of a frightening mania. "It's just like the one you gave me, right?! You abusive bastard!" He kicked Roman hard in the ribs with his heel (as he wasn't wearing shoes- and he hadn't since his boots had been burned) and a sickening crack issued through the room. Roman cried out, but it quickly turned to painful whines.

Remy, Logan, Virgil, and Emile moved to stop Nero, but Patton raised his hand, blocking them. They all stared for a moment, baffled that Morality was allowing such violence to unfold. But Patton bit his lip, shaking his head. "Wait," was all he said, and his stone-cold conviction stopped the others from moving again.

"Nero, Nero, I'm s-sorry!" Roman whimpered. "I'm sorry I hit you. I'm sorry I've been a terrible b-boyfriend, please!" He begged, flinching as Nero raised his foot again.

The wrathful side mimicked the smirk that Roman had given him a few moments before. Nero lowered his foot carefully, applying moderate pressure to Roman's cracked ribs. The creative side gasped, grabbing at Nero's foot, trying to push him off, but he couldn't. Nero was far too full of Wrath to be disregarded. "Aww, is somebody scared? I'm glad. You deserve every minute of your pain, don't you, you piece of shit? Say it!" Nero hissed, digging his heel in.

Roman yelped. "I deserve it! I deserve it! P-please, Nero, baby, let me go, let's talk about this-"

Nero rolled his eyes, spitting on Roman's forehead. "You know, it was fine before! I would've sat through every punch and insult you threw at me without complaining; hell, you had me convinced I deserved it! But how. Dare. You. How can you treat Apathy like that!? I was so fucking wrong for loving you, for trusting you. You treat the people who love you, who look up to you like dirt on your shoes! Apathy doesn't deserve that; he's a baby, and you basically just told him you wished he was never born! Maybe, you shouldn't have fucking raped Janus in the first place if you didn't want to risk breeding emotions like Apathy, who is the sweetest damn child this word has ever seen!"

Nero combed a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. He kicked Roman a couple more times before stepping back, panting. Roman lay there, his eyes glazed with pain and fear, his nose and mouth bleeding. His chest was shuddering, each breath causing him immense pain. "We're through," Nero said, his voice sharp and powerful. 

Wrath closed his eyes, tipping his head back and grinning as he had just had an enormous weight lifted from his chest. Nero glanced at the five other sides who were watching, smiling earnestly, and sunk out to find the child he cared so deeply for.


	38. Killing With Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeeze I did not mean for this chapter to be so long! I probably could have split this into two chapters and they'd both be plenty long, but what the hell, it's Cinco De Mayo, and I can't be told what to do.
> 
> Warnings: some violence (not all that graphic, compared to the last chapter) and discussion of violence.

Apathy didn't know what to do but run. He rose up in Remus's castle, tears streaming down his face, and ran through the halls. It was the quickest way to the imagination, which was bound to be the best place to hide. Maybe Roman wouldn't find him there. And Thomas, who he had only just met the day before- oh, he must hate him now, for ruining the play! Apathy sobbed, his tears blinding him, his heart hurting. He hadn't meant to do anything wrong! And yet, it seemed, he was bound to make a mistake after mistake. Perhaps, he thought as the sun began to set, he should have paid more attention to the stories Roman had used to tell before sending him off to bed- the horrible monsters that lurked the imagination, the beasts that would devour such a small child in a single bite. But Nero had always reassured Apathy that the stories were untrue. Weren't they? Owls cooed in the distance, the fall becoming cooler as it faded into winter. Apathy pulled Nero's coat tighter around him as if it could shield him from the cruel reality. The last of the dead leaves swirled up around him, sending a horrible chill through him, the wind stinging against his raw, tear-stained face. Apathy sat down against a tree, wrapping his arms around his knees and sobbing. He missed Janus and Remus and Nero- but how could they want him back after what he had done?

Apathy wasn't sure how long had passed, but he became aware when something was blocking his wind. He looked up, his eyes widening. A dragon, it's scaling a deep purple, towered over him, standing on its hind legs and wrapped in a great black cloak. Instead of eating him in one bite, however, they spoke. "Well, hello, little one. What are you doing in the forest? Many dangerous things lurk around these parts!"

"W-who are you?" Apathy asked, trying his best not to sound frightened of the creature.

"Why I'm the Dragon-Witch! And you're Apathy, aren't you?"

Apathy nodded slowly and was startled by the gleeful laugh that the Dragon-Witch rang out. "Oh, I'm sure Duke Remus would pay me handsomely to return you! Come," they said, reaching down and yanking Apathy to his feet.

"Lemme go!" Apathy cried, trying to pull away, but the Dragon-Witch was far too strong. They dragged him down a long dirt path, with only a ball of magical fire in their hand to light the way.

A twig snapped in the underbrush just off the path, and the Dragon-Witch froze. "Stay behind me, little one. Wouldn't want you getting hurt," they whispered, before turning in the direction of the noise. A menacing grin formed on their face. "Which one of you clowns is it? It better not be you, Lust, I told you I wasn't interested."

There was laughter- more like shrieking- in the woods, and two figure's stepped out. The shorter of the two wore glasses and an oversized, mucus yellow-colored raincoat, a wicked sneer on its face. The other was dressed in a bog green pin-striped suit with a red tee-shirt beneath it, looking like the personification of a can of Mountain Dew. "You know you're not allowed in our territory, hag!" shouted the one in Green.

"I'm on my way to the Duke's castle; I'm not bothering you." The Dragon Witch said, clearly annoyed at the two blocking the way.

The one in Green caught sight of Apathy, who was half-hidden behind the Dragon-Witch and cooed. "Aww, what' cha got there, spooky? Is that a baby!?" The man giggled. "Look, Greed-y, they've got a baby!"

The one in mucus-yellow, Greed, apparently, tilted his head to the side. "Give him to us, Dragon Witch. Honesty'll want to see him."

The Dragon Witch threw a fireball at him, causing the green one to screech like a banshee and jump away. Greed merely stepped to the side. "No! He's mine! I bet the Duke will reward me, and if not, I'm going to hold a ransom! I don't care what that pimp Honesty wants!"

Greed sighed, looking over at the Mountain-Dew man. "Envy? You want to take this one?"

The man called Envy, grinned, nodding enthusiastically, and grabbed a harpoon from a nearby bush. "You might wanna move, kid." Greed suggested boredly as Envy squealed with joy, cleaving the harpoon at the Dragon Witch. The Dragon Witch, distracted, let go of Apathy's hand, and he jumped away. They tried to jump out of the way as well, but the harpoon struck them in the thigh. They roared, wrenching it from their leg and tossing it to the ground.

The Dragon Witch raised its hand to throw another magic ball of fire, but Greed shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you were to attack us, I'm sure Honesty would-" He didn't even need to finish the threat. The Dragon Witch scowled, waving their hand and whisking themself away in a puff of smoke. Apathy looked at the two men in the darkness. So these were the sins. The ones Remy had talked about, the banished sides. 'Patton had been right,' Apathy thought, feeling tears build in his eyes once again. He sat down, his face in his hands. 'He had hurt Thomas, and now he was in the imagination, stuck with the other wicked sides with the same agenda.' 

He didn't notice at first that Envy had come up to him, kneeling down to his level. "Hey, little guy, we're not going to hurt you! Greed-y and I are going to take good care of you, alright?" Greed lit a lantern, and Apathy caught sight of him, wiping the Dragon Witch's blood off of the end of the harpoon. 

Apathy sobbed, hugging Nero's jacket tightly. "I want my dad!" He cried, and in his mind's eye, he pictured Janus, searching everywhere for him. He also could imagine Nero and Remus, calling out for him as they ran around the mindscape. But he doubted it was the truth. They didn't want him, Roman had said so!

Envy gasped, his hand flying to his mouth. "Greed, look! He's wearing Wrath's jacket!" He pointed at Nero's leather jacket, which Apathy clung to for dear life, afraid it would be taken from him.

Greed bent the lantern closer, trying to see it for himself. "While I'll be damned! You don't think he's Sloth and Wrath's little boy, do you?" Apathy would have corrected them, but he couldn't manage to form sentences, his crying making it difficult to breathe. The two sins seemed to agree on the information they had incorrectly gathered, and Envy reached down, gently picking up Apathy.

Apathy cried into Envy's shoulder as the side held him. "We're going to take you back to the other's, okay? Then we'll get this all sorted out." Envy and Greed walked what felt like a long way. Apathy was uncomfortable- Envy was very thin, his shoulder's sharp and not very comfortable to lay on, but it was certainly better than walking in the dark. There was some chatter between the two adults- mostly them fighting over who got to hold Apathy- but finally, he heard other voices in the world around him. Apathy looked up, bleary-eyed.

They had arrived at the side of a tall cliff, and inlaid in the front was a stone-carved mansion. It was covered in moss, but torches left the place moderately well lit. There were windows open, and inside, Apathy could see people moving about, despite how late it was. Greed opened the door, allowing for Envy to carry Apathy inside. He set him down, patting him on the shoulder. Greed extended one of his meaty, dirty looking hands to Apathy, and two sins lead Apathy down a long hallway. "Where are we going?" Apathy hiccuped, rubbing the residual tears from his eyes with his free hand.

Envy bounced in his step a little. "We're taking you to see Honesty! He's in charge here; I'm sure he'll know what to do." The lead him down the halls and up a flight of stairs. The mansion was scarcely decorated and dusty, but it was nice enough. A couple of people tried to stop Greed and Envy, to ask what was going on, but they simply ignored them. The men stopped outside a shinny pair of black doors, and Envy rapped his knuckles on the door.

"Be polite!" Greed warned, under his breath, and the door swung open.

The man who stood in the doorway looked a lot like Remus, in every regard but his outfit. Same body-type, same hair with a grey streak- and yet his eyes were colder, and he looked so disinterested that Apathy admired him in that respect. However, instead of some brightly colored sequined royal outfit, this man wore a white navy captain's uniform. "Pride!" Envy squealed, hugging him with the clear direct intent to mess up Pride's uniform. "How you doin' pal?"

Pride shoved him off, grumbling as he fixed his outfit. "Envy, we discussed this. You're not to touch me; you'll dirty my clothes."

Envy looked down at Apathy. "Aww, don't mind him; he's just bitter because when he was banished, Morality took away his medals."

Pride opened his mouth to deny the fact but froze when he saw Apathy. His eyes went wide. "What have you done, Envy? Did you steal someone's baby?! You must learn to control yourself!"

Envy shook his head. "No, no, no! I never stole him! Well, I guess I did from the Dragon Witch, but he wasn't their's to begin with, so I guess it doesn't matter if I steal-" he rambled.

Pride cleared his throat. "Focus, Envy!"

Envy jolted from his rant. "Oh! Greed-y, and I wanted to take him to see Honesty!"

Pride scowled, "I'll ask." He turned back into the room, speaking to a person Apathy could see.

"Let them in, Pride," said an angelically soft voice, and the man stepped aside.

Greed and Envy lead him in, and Apathy caught sight of Honesty. Honesty was lounging in a chair at a great wooden desk, his feet thrown up on the surface. He had a pair of glasses proper up in his hair. He stood when Apathy came in, and Apathy saw that Honesty wore a silver ankle-length skirt and a cement grey T-shirt. His eyes were the color of quarters, and Apathy found himself very, very frightened by the man in front of him.

"What have you gentlemen brought for me?" He said, his mouth curved into a kind smile.

Apathy looked up at Greed and Envy. He didn't know the word for their expressions, but we might describe it as 'flustered.' "I, uhm, we..." stuttered Envy. "The Dragon Witch was passing through our territory with this little guy, and we stole him from them. Look, he's got Wrath's jacket! We think he's Wrath and Sloth's boy!" Envy said excitedly. "I brought him back just for you!"

Honesty clasped his hands together. "Aww, how sweet of you! Greed, Pride, would you be so kind as to fetch the others for me? I'd love to introduce them to our guest!"

Greed nodded, his cheeks blushed as he hurried from the room. Pride frowned, clearly jealous that Envy was allowed to stay. "But sir, I-"

"Pride, my dashing man in uniform, I need to you go get the others! You know they listen to you," he said sweetly. Pride nodded, smiling at the compliment, and raced from the room after Greed. Honesty went back and took a seat at his desk, waving his hand for Apathy and Envy to take a chair across from his desk.

"Hello there!" Honesty said, smiling sweeter than anything Patton had ever done. Apathy wasn't sure if it was more or less disturbing than it was clearly genuine. "I'm Honesty! It's wonderful to meet you, little one! What, may I ask, is your name?"

Apathy shivered under the attention, pulling Nero's jacket tight to comfort himself. "I'm... I'm Apathy, sir."

Honesty tapped his fingers on the desk. "Apathy, hmm? Oh, how delightful! What was such an adorable little boy like you doing out in the woods with the Dragon Witch?" Honesty reached in his desk, pulling out some candy. He pushed it across the desk, offering some to the little boy.

Apathy took a lollypop. "I, uhm, I ran away. The Dragon Witch found me; they wanted to take me back. I don't want to go back! Patton's gonna make me go back and live with Ro, and he's so mean! I didn't mean to mess up Thomas's show, I swear!" He insisted, his face growing hot.

Honesty shot Envy a perplexed glance before turning back to comfort Apathy. "I'm sorry, who is Patton?" 

Apathy tilted his head to the side. "Patton is... he's Morality."

Honesty shook his head, smiling. "Ahh, so that's his name. See, we don't know any of their names; it's been so long since we saw the others. You'll have to be patient with me, alright? I do want to help you, Apathy." Apathy nodded slowly. Honesty was so lovely, and it was strange to him that the others had considered him to be worth banishing. "So, let's start from the beginning. Who are your parents, little one? You're wearing dear old Wrath's jacket, I assume-"

"Roman and Janus are my parents."

"And that would be..." Honesty prompted.

"Prince Creativity and Deceit." The mention of the snake-side darkened Honesty's aura considerably. He was still smiling at the mouth, but his eyes were almost angry. Apathy didn't like that look. Roman often wore that look. Envy seemed to cower in his seat when he saw Honesty's expression. It was pretty clear, even to Apathy, that Honesty loathed Deceit.

"I see," he said, taking a careful breath. "I remembered the Dragon Witch mentioning that The Duke was marrying Deceit. Was I wrong in that respect?"

"No, they're married. I wasn't..." Apathy looked miserably down at his feet. "I wasn't supposed to be born. Roman gave Deceit some love potion or something because he was jealous. At least, that's what Nero- er, Wrath told me."

"Oh dear," Honesty said, shaking his head, more for the benefit of Envy. "What drama they've all been up to without us! Apathy, why do you think Morality would want to banish you? You're not exactly... evil- incarnate."

Apathy rubbed his eyes. He felt as if he might begin to cry for the third time that evening, but he was almost too tired for it. "Thomas was doing a play. It got so loud, and I just needed everything to calm down. So I made it calm down- on accident. Roman didn't like that. He was so angry. He said I ruined Thomas's career. I hurt him! And Morality already did say I would be banished if I was bad.." his lip was trembling. 

Honesty sighed. "Apathy, I was thrown out for wanting to be honest with Thomas. Perhaps more than was healthy, but I am firm in my belief that it's always better to know everything about yourself then be ignorant. As a seeker of the truth, I am making a promise to you. I will call the light sides in the morning. If you are not banished, I will have you happily returned to The Duke and Deceit. But if you are," Honesty leaned forward, his smile widening while his tone darkened. "You will stay with us. Sound good?"

Apathy nodded, unsure whether to be scared or glad for Honesty's aggressive hospitality. Honesty turned to Envy. "Envy dear, it has come to my attention that the other's are standing outside the door listening. Would you go let them in?"

Envy jumped from his seat and ran to the door. When he swung it open, Pride fell over, another side tripping over him. Honesty stood, walking around the desk and putting a hand on Apathy's shoulder. His nails were painted, Apathy noticed, silver to match his clothes. "Boys, is that any way to greet our little guest? You must introduce yourselves."

They all stood up, forming a haphazard line. Pride spoke first as he straightened his clothes again. "I'm Pride."

Greed was next. "You know me," he said. Envy just nodded at him.

The next man was wearing a royal purple kimono, his hair mused. "I'm Lust!" the man said, waving like he was in a pageant. 

And the final one, who was wearing a sandy brown colored overcoat, jeans and a tee-shirt, just shrugged. "I'm Gluttony."

"This is Apathy; he is the son of Prince Creativity and Deceit. He will be staying us for the time being, so I expect you all to be welcoming and appropriate." Honesty patted Apathy's shoulder reassuringly, before continuing. "Envy, Lust, you will set him up in one of the spare bedrooms, make sure he is comfortable. Greed and Gluttony are dismissed, but I would like Pride to stay behind with me. Does that sound good for everyone?"

Envy came forward, taking Apathy's hand. "Let's go, hmm? It's pretty late for a little guy like you to be awake." He and Lust escorted Apathy from the room and down the halls, Greed and Gluttony wandering off. 

Pride closed the door, turning to face Honesty. "I heard you say you wanted to help Apathy. What's the truth?"

"Oh, I want to help him. Help him die."

Pride had not been expecting such a line to pass his boss's lips, but he tried not to show how surprised he was. "Sir, you want to kill Apathy? He... he's a child!"

Honesty waved his hand, picking a piece of candy off his desk and popping it in his mouth. "He's Deceit's son. He has to die. It's that bastard's fault that we're all here, Pride- his and Morality's. I think they deserve to suffer, don't you?"

Pride would never directly disagree with Honesty, but sometimes he found that he was able to talk Honesty out of such wicked behavior. "If you want him dead, why didn't you kill him when he was with you?"

Honesty scoffed as if it was a silly question. "Because my dear, then Deceit wouldn't get to see it! I want to make him suffer. However, you know I'll need your help with that."

"Sir?" Pride asked. Honesty walked up to him, his arms curling around Pride's shoulders. He was much shorter, but it was manageable. His smile widened when he saw Pride stiffen at the touch.

"Dear Pride, Sweet Pride... you know you're my favorite, right? My most trusted, my friend?" Pride blushed deeply, nodding. He was unable to make eye contact with Honesty, so the side tipped Pride's chin up, giving him no choice. "You know I'm incapable of lying. I'm going to need your help, carrying this out. Will you be my liar, Pride?"

Pride sighed. He didn't want Apathy murdered. But he couldn't disappoint Honesty- the light side, the one who had been Patton's golden child. The one who had been banished trying to fight for their rights to meet Thomas. And so, he had no choice but to agree.


	39. Just your (Not So) Cool Psychopath Being His (Not So) Cool Self

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oooh, looks like my chapters are growing longer and longer then they used to be! How fun.
> 
> Oh, so Roman realizes he was being a horrible person.
> 
> Warnings: Threats of violence, slightly unsympathetic Patton and Logan.

Roman woke up in a room he didn't recognize. He tried to move, but a searing pain shot through his ribs. He gasped at the feeling, clutching his sides. "Ahh, you're awake," Patton said. He was sitting next to him, bandages in hand- he had been working at the many cuts on Roman's face when he had woken up. "Lay down, kiddo, I need to finish."

"What... what happened? Where is everyone?" Roman said, wincing as Patton cleaned a cut on his forehead.

"Everyone, 'cept me, is out looking for Apathy. The poor thing has been gone for hours. He ran when you said those horrible things to him, Roman."

Roman sighed, looking at his wounds in a small mirror mounted on the wall. He whistled- or at least, he tried to. Nero had apparently knocked out a few of his teeth. "Gosh, Nero beat me to a pulp."

"Yes. He was distraught- and rightfully so. I thought it would be good for you to be put in your place." When Patton caught sight of the bewildered look on Roman's face, he continued, not able to quite make eye-contact. "Sometimes, it seems, the best way to learn is through a more... physical reinforcement. Not that I approve, but, well, it seemed to be good for Nero's mental health."

Roman looked around the room more. The walls were painted a soft grayish pink, but all of the furniture was gray. There didn't seem to be any distinguishing qualities, save that it was clearly a bedroom. "Where- where are we?"

"This is Apathy's bedroom. It was the only free room in the mindscape- I didn't want you bleeding on my couches, and I wasn't able to get into your room. Also," Patton's lip curled up, he looked almost amused in his petty vengeance. "I thought it might knock some sense into you."

Patton stood, waving his hand, and everything was packed up. "I'm going to go make you something to eat. Don't move, alright? You have a lot of injuries we wouldn't want getting worse, now would we?" Patton didn't allow Roman time to speak, quickly sinking out. Of course, the creative side didn't head Patton's words, even for a moment- instead, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his entire body screaming out in protest. As any side would know, to be in another's room for too long has dire consequences. For some sides, it's more than others, but one can imagine just what an effect Apathy's room had on Roman. Patton had very well known this when he put the creative side in there, his intention being to perhaps instill some feeling into Roman's cruel, bitter heart.

Roman sat still for a long time, just looking around the room. There really wasn't much he could do, was there? He might be able to return to his castle, but... Nero wouldn't be there. The memory hit him hard as the realization sunk in. Roman wanted to be angry at Nero, for beating him up so gruesomely. He wanted to be mad that Nero had left him. But he couldn't. Apathy's room, just like it's resident, always left the cold and bitter truth. Nero had been so upset. 'Why?' Roman asked himself. He wanted to tell himself that it was merely Wrath being Wrath. 'He was suicidal and angry, it's no wonder-,' but the thought died before it could even fully form. "I hurt him," Roman announced to the empty room. "I broke him down to his last nerve. I... I took everything from him. I looped him into my plot to kill my brother; he lost his freedom because of me. I destroyed his self-esteem, I took away the little happiness he had; I took away..." His mind flashed to the events during the play when he had shouted at Apathy. 'I wish you had never shown up in the mindscape,' his own voice echoed in his head.

"I've been mad at the people who loved MY son more than I did. I've abused the people who loved me, who cared about me... because I was jealous? Full of myself?" The room around him felt so cold, seeping into his skin. It felt like crowbars were tearing apart the place in him were the feelings he'd worked so hard to repress resided. And it was terrible. Now, Roman wasn't a crier. But he cried now. He wept for the things he had done, for the people he had lost because of his ego. He wasn't sure who he had hurt the most. Remus, who he had almost killed, who he had stolen Janus from, who he had forced to be his rival when in truth, the Duke had never truly intended to harm? Janus, whom he had... (Roman shuddered at the memory, his heart aching) raped, who he had tried to force into so many things. Nero, who he had torn apart when the side was at his very lowest point. Or Apathy, who had only been a rise a month and a half, who had strived for Roman's affection, who had been heartbroken by the lack of it.

Apathy's room had cleared him of his most profound interest- himself- leaving him with nothing but the worst remorse he had ever felt.

_____________________________________________________

An hour. Three. Six. Time was flying by, and Janus felt the panic worsening in him with every passing moment. Logan had hastily mapped out places for each side to search for Apathy, to quicken the search, but they had covered only a small fraction of the mindscape when dawn approached.

Virgil found himself becoming increasingly exasperated with his search partner, Nero. The side's eyes were blown wide, his movements frantic and intense. Having not slept or eaten in quite some time, the side was running on purely the adrenaline of giving Roman a taste of his own medicine and finding the little boy he loved so dearly. It was clear Nero was on the edge of a breakdown, though he gave no verbal indication, and unfortunately for Virgil, breakdowns were his area of expertise.

He sighed, shrugging up his hoodie. "Wrath, you don't look so hot. Maybe you should take a break."

Wrath shook his head as he and Virgil wandered though the imagination directly around Roman's castle. "I'm fine, Para-" he cut himself off, flashing Virgil an apologetic look for the slip of his tongue. "Virgil, I can't stop looking for him until he's found. This is my fault; I have to find him."

"This isn't your fault, Nero. It's Roman's. We'll find Apathy soon."

"How could I have let him run off like that? I was so stupid!" Nero groaned, sliding his fingers through his hair and gripping at it. He pinched his eyes shut, trying to take a deep breath. It was then that Virgil realized that Nero's panic attack had just begun. However, this seemed different than the ones that Virgil himself experienced on a usual basis. Nero seemed furious and terrified by the aura he gave off.

Virgil stopped, carefully putting a hand on Nero's shoulder. "Nero, you need to sit down and focus on your breathing with me, okay?" The orange-clad side dropped unceremoniously to the dirt. Virgil knelt beside him, helping him match his breathing. "It's alright. We'll find him," Virgil promised.

Nero choked out something inaudible from where he was sobbing into his shirt sleeve. "What is it?" Virgil asked, his tone as soft as he could make it.

"You d-don't understand, Virgil." Nero gasped. "I may not be his father, but he's my little boy! I can't... I can't lose him."

Virgil's heart softened. Of course, Nero was taking this the hardest. Roman didn't care, but while Remus and Janus did, they hardly had formed the same psychological attachment as Nero had with Apathy. "You won't lose him," Virgil reassured, rubbing light circles in Nero's back as he calmed down. "We just have to keep looking, I'm sure-" Virgil was about to say something when he felt a summons. It was intense, seemingly done by multiple people. He grabbed Nero's arm without a word, following the summons into the common room. The others showed up within the same few seconds.

Patton was standing in the center of the room, gripping his phone. He was shaking a little, staring at the phone. It was ringing the cheery Spongebob campfire song, but he made no move to answer. Logan walked up to him. "Patton, what's going on?" he asked, holding Patton's shoulders and looking at the caller ID. He paled. "Oh, dear..."

"Won't someone answer the damn phone?" Nero exclaimed, rubbing the redness from his eyes and snatching the phone from Patton's hand. His eyes widened for a moment, before contorting into a scowl. He answered the video call.

"Wrath! It's been so long, old friend! My goodness, who hurt your eye?" Honesty's voice rang out into the room, causing the rest of the sides who did not yet know the identity of the caller to flinch and go pale.

"Cut the crap, Honesty, what do you want?" The others had come to sit around Nero so they could see the screen. In the feed, Honesty was sitting at a desk, sucking on a lollipop.

"Why my dear ex-friends, I want to talk about your newest side!" He turned the camera to some chairs across from his desk. There sat Pride, who brushing his hair in a compact mirror and Envy, who was playing patty-cake with... Apathy. Apathy was eating a piece of toast, and when he saw the other's through the phone, he smiled nervously and waved.

"Oh my god," Janus's voice cut through the stunned silence, speaking for everyone else's emotions in the room.

"What have you done to him, you bastard!?" Came Nero, next. 

Honesty clicked his tongue, turning the camera back to himself. "I've done nothing to harm your dear boy yet, I can assure you. Greed and Envy risked life and limb just to get him from the Dragon-Witch. No need to panic."

Janus took the phone from Nero, his eyes glowing dangerously. "I want to talk to my son, Honesty."

Honesty sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll give you a moment before we adults need to have a discussion." He slid the phone across the table, and Apathy picked it up.

"App, are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Remus asked over Janus's shoulder.

"No, I'm fine. They've been really nice; Gluttony made me pancakes this morning!" Apathy said, smiling. The rest of the sides were relieved.

Pride took the phone away from Apathy, handing it back to Honesty. "Envy, my dear, will you take Apathy out of the room, please? I need to discuss it with his parents." Apathy waved as Envy picked him up and took him from the room. "Now. Gentlemen. Regarding Apathy-"

"Thank you so much for taking care of him!" Patton exclaimed suddenly. "We were so worried when he ran off! I know we've had our differences in the past, kiddo, but I really appreciate you taking care of-"

Honesty put a hand up, silencing Patton. "Look, darling Morality, I am not going to forgive and forget the fact that you all banished me here. Nor that the son of my greatest rival is in my custody."

Logan understood the fastest what Honesty was getting at. "You're holding a ransom? That's so shallow, even for you!"

Honesty sat quietly, picking his nails. The side looked up, and Pride, who leaned over his bosses chair, feigned disinterest. "Look, there is nothing I would like more than to rip dear Apathy's throat out and send his organs to you in a gift bag." Honesty was so cheerful that his words were startling. Even Remus looked sickened at the remark. "And I think I will."

"That is," Pride politely interrupted, snapping Honesty from his creepy-peppy reverie. "If you don't allow us back into the real mindscape. Our offer is this. You boy's life for our freedom- which, of course, has to be allowed by Thomas himself. You have one hour to decide."

"Pride, Honesty, boys," Patton said helplessly. "Please, you don't need to kill a child! Come on, kiddos, this isn't you!"

"Please, Honesty," Janus begged. "Just let me have my son back. You don't have to do this." 

Honesty shrugged, a wicked smile on his face. "You're right. I don't have to; I want to. I want to watch you suffer, Deceit. And hurting Apathy will certainly hurt you the most."

"You have one hour." Pride repeated. "Come to us when you've made your decision, we're not hard to find."

And the call ended. Janus's hand was trembling, so much so that he dropped Patton's phone to the couch. He clung to Remus for support, as if his husband was the only person keeping him from crying. Nero was biting his nails, his brow furrowed into elevens. "We need to talk to Thomas; get him to allow Honesty and the other sins back," Nero said after a moment, breaking the shocked silence. He stood, waiting for one of the other sides to take him to the real world, as he was unable to without his 'powers.' Virgil reached out a hand, but Patton intercepted them.

"Nero, we can't bring Honesty and his cronies back here!" Patton insisted. 

"I'm sorry, did you not hear the part where Honesty threatened to brutally murder Apathy?!" Nero shouted.

"He did, but you have to understand, we have to think about a thing like this," Logan said. "Perhaps there is another way to get Apathy back. But for now, allowing them back into the mindscape will cause more damage-"

Remus moved toward Logan, his pose challenging. "Are you saying you think we should let Honesty 'rip dear Apathy's throat out and send his organs to you in a gift bag?' " He mimicked Honesty's voice, doing finger quotes. "You fucking know he'll keep his word! We don't have the time to come up with another plan!"

Patton pushed his glasses up. "Guys, think of Thomas! Having them all back might hurt him!"

"And not having them back will get a child murdered, Pat!" Virgil hissed.

The others didn't see Roman rise up, clutching the wall for balance. They didn't notice him listening to them fight, or that he was trying to make sense of what was happening. Virgil, however, did. He slunk over to Roman as Janus, Nero, Remus, and Remy shouted at Patton, Logan, and Emile. 

"What do you want here?" Virgil spat.

"I want to find my son, Virge." Virgil scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, I do! This is all my fault, and-"

"You're damn right it is."

"-Virgil, please, just let me talk! I think I have an idea of how we can get Apathy back."

The anxious side sighed, glancing back over at the others. After a moment, he grabbed Roman roughly by the arm, who winced, and pulled him over to the militant group. He cleared his throat, his eye bags darkening. "GuYs! RoMaN HAs An IDEa!" He exclaimed in tempest tongue, essentially silencing the others.

Roman stood awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable under the gazes of the other sides. Nero's especially, who seemed to be glaring holes into Roman's skull.

Time to talk.


	40. Sinful Pre-Venging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, ya'll! There are a few things you may have noticed that I have updated. 
> 
> One, I have now marked out how many more chapters there are going to be before this story ends. It may fluctuate a little, but that's where I'm planning to end it, give or take a chapter, I wanted to let ya'll know in advance.
> 
> Two, yes I have marked this story down for Major Character Death. There are going to be MULTIPLE deaths in the next few chapters, I'm warning you ahead of time because I care for you dear readers and it wouldn't be fair of me to just spring that on ya.
> 
> I hope ya'll enjoy the rest of the story! This chapter focuses on Pride.

"Sir, don't you think that-" Pride began, as soon as the call ended, only to be cut off by a deep kiss from Honesty, who had pulled him down to his level by his collar.

"You did perfectly!" Honesty exclaimed. "I doubt they'll ever expect us not to hold up our end of the bargain. I ought to use you as my liar more often, Pride!" Honesty leaned in to kiss Pride again, but the side carefully evaded his boss's grasp, backing toward the door.

"Thank you, but I really must go make sure everything is running smoothly with the others," Pride stammered, his cheeks red as he adjusted his collar. 

Honesty smiled, sweetly, settling back down at his desk and pulling out some papers to busy himself with. "Alright. But you must be back before the hour is out, we'll be having visitors!"

Pride closed the door, perhaps harder then he had meant to, and sighed deeply, and began to pray that the sides would know what to do.

_________________________________________________

Flashback: Night before, just after he and Honesty had discussed the execution of Apathy

_________________________________________________

Quite frankly, he hoped that the non-banished sides would murder Honesty. The complicated feelings he felt toward their leader were far to difficult to bother himself with. And yet, the plan that Honesty had confided in him needed to be addressed. 'Perhaps Morality would've helped me understand my feelings,' Pride thought to himself. 'Or Prince Creativity, romance is his department.' But unfortunately, he had access to neither of those side's wisdom. So, he had to talk to the person he did have. Lust.

Lust was a challenging person to talk too, frankly because the only thing that was ever on his mind was sex. But, it was the closest to the advice he thought he might get when it came to whether or not he should betray Honesty. So, when Lust and Envy had finished their job of setting Apathy up in one of the spare rooms, he cornered Lust in the hallway. "Pride, as much as I do love the mildly threatening conversations we have, I promised Greed a fun time after we met with Honesty, and I don't want to miss it." A light bulb seemed to light behind his eyes. "Oooh! Unless you wanna join us-"

"No, I don't want to join you!" Pride said, trying his best not to seem disgusted by the offer. "I... I need advice."

Lust didn't seem to believe him. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. You want advice from me?"

"Yes." He said firmly. Lust leaned provocatively against the wall, waiting for Pride to ask his question. "I have questions. About relationships?"

Lust laughed. "You want relationship advice. From me. I thought you were too full of yourself to ask for help, guess I was wrong!" He stopped laughing when he saw Pride's impatient expression. "'Aight, who do you wanna screw?" He grinned when Pride blushed.

"No, it's not like that. It's just... what would somebody do, if... uhm... your boss is being inappropriate and you didn't like it?"

Lust shrugged. "What, is he ugly? Why else would you turn down somebody in a position of power? I sure wouldn't."

Pride shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. Ugh, I'll rephrase. Look, there's somebody I'm in love with who I don't think I can say no too who's asking me to do things I'm not comfortable with!" Like murder a child, Pride thought bitterly, but clearly, Lust took it entirely differently. Pride had possessed some shred of hope that Lust was too stupid to put two and two together about who he was talking about, but apparently, he was mistaken.

"Dang, that's some heavy crap. I assume things are rocky with Honesty?" 

Pride tried to act scandalized. "Honesty!? Do you really think I'd really be sleeping with our boss? That's ridiculous!"

Lust rolled his eyes. "Bitch, I know everything that goes on in this house." ('Not murder plots,' thought Pride.) "Don't lie to me, or I'll call down your boyfriend. He can't lie, you know he'll tell me."

Pride paled. "Fine! Fine, this is about him. Please, Lust? I just need your thoughts on an important part of our relationship."

Lust laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn't get over this new, nervous version of Pride, it was so refreshing. "Well, look, I'm not one to be uncomfortable with really anything, so my advice is biased because I do think you're kind of a wuss. I mean, this is Honesty we're talking about, how kinky does it get?"

Pride rubbed his temples. "I'm not talking about kinks! This was a mistake; I knew you wouldn't understand." 

He began to walk off, but Lust grabbed his arm. "Hey, wait, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Listen, if there is something you're uncomfortable with, it's always important to talk about it. With him, of course, but if you don't think he'll listen, talk to somebody about your issue. Maybe you can come up with a compromise. If not, time to break off the relationship and deal with the consequences." Lust grinned, slapping Pride's ass as he walked by. "I hope it was helpful! And my offer still stands, by the way, I'd love it if you'd join-" But Pride had already hurried down the hallway away from him.

'Talk about it.' echoed Lust's advice in Pride's mind. Who could he talk too without fearing that he was breaking Honesty's trust? He turned the corner and spotted Envy. The side was cleaning his harpoon and looking quite bored. "Heya Pride!" He said cheerily, nodding in recognition. "What's wrong? You look upset."

Pride took a deep breath. "Envy, I need to confide in you. I think you're the only one here who might have the same... moral code as I do, and I need your help." Eww, he had asked for advice and then for help in the same span of minutes. It was humiliating, but at the moment, damaging his... Pride wasn't the biggest concern.

Envy bore the same disbelief that Lust had in his expression, but luckily Envy was far more sympathetic. "Yeah, okay. Why don't we go to my room to talk?" unfortunately, Envy's room was an eyesore, all that grubby green, but at least it was private. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, waving Pride to the chair at the vanity. "So what's up, man?"

Pride bit his lip, almost regretting that he was betraying Honesty, but it was for the best. He just had to rip it off, like a bandaid. "Honesty is going to kill Apathy."

Envy sat in shock for a split second before jumping to his feet and going to the door. "Not right now! He wants to make Deceit watch, as a punishment for banishing us. He'll call tomorrow and make his threat, and you know he'll go through with it!"

"This is heavy," Envy said, sitting back down and combing his fingers through his hair. "Oh god, what are we going to do? We can't let him murder Apathy; he's a little kid!"

"I know, and I think you're the only one here who can help me stand up to Honesty. We have to stop him." 

Envy looked out the window, trying to find the words to say. "Maybe... Maybe it's for the best."

"I'm sorry what the ever-loving fuck are you talking about?! You can't be siding with Honesty about murdering an innocent child!" Pride whisper-yelled, so the other occupants of the mansion wouldn't hear.

"It's not that I want him dead! He's a great kid; it's just... how can we betray Honesty, after everything he's done for us? He got banished because he wanted us to have bigger roles in Thomas's life, Pride! He's the only light side here, and he's in charge. Don't you think he knows what's best?"

Pride scoffed. "You can't be serious. Honesty is the worst of the worst, and I'm saying that from the perspective of his lover! He never wanted us in the spotlight; he just wanted to use us to make Thomas and all the others suffer! And letting him kill Apathy is just adding that. Come on; maybe we can redeem ourselves! But standing by as we let Deceit and Prince Creativity's little boy be disemboweled is wrong!"

Envy sat quietly, taking his scolding. He sighed, looking around nervously, and finally nodded. "Alright. I'll help you. But if this goes wrong, Honesty will kill us; you know that. So what's your plan?"

Pride told him.

"You know, calling on the Dragon Witch that I just skewed like an hour ago is probably a horrible idea."

"They're the only ones who can get a message to the non-banished, considering that Honesty has the only phone here." Pride said as he drafted his letter. He tucked the page in his pocket and waved for Envy to follow him.

The traveled down the dark halls, treading as quietly as they could. Gluttony was snoring ridiculously loud in his room, and the boys could hear Greed and Lust, as promised, making lots of lewd noises. The managed to slip outside and into the crisp air. "To the Dragon Witch's cave, we go!" Envy exclaimed, bouncing as he began walking. There were only a few yards from the building when Envy suddenly lost his footing. 

He went to the ground, and in the moonlight, Pride could see a rope was tied around Envy's ankles. Envy let loose a blood-curdling scream when it suddenly began dragging him at 30 miles per hour, Pride cursed, running after him. Envy screamed as he was pulled along, trying desperately to grab onto something, anything, but he was so disoriented, and the dust being kicked up made it hard to breathe or see. "P-p-p-riiiiiddde!" He screamed, the rocks on the forest floor cutting up his face like a poor shaver. 

Pride had to sprint to keep up, and even that didn't seem to be enough, as Envy was pulled farther and farther away from him. Finally, the rope stopped, and Pride caught up with him. "Envy, are you alright!?" Envy groaned on the ground, and the ropes magically untied themselves.

There stood the Dragon Witch. They grinned at Pride. "Sorry, just had to rough him up a bit for putting a harpoon through my leg, and magic ropes are incredibly fun. Now what is of such importance that you sins come to me, I'm a busy Dragon."

Pride, who was still out of breath, fished in his pocket for the paper. "We need you to take this to the not-banished sides."

The Dragon Witch laughed. "And why would I do that?"

"Honesty's gonna kill Creativity and Deceit's son," Envy murmured from the ground. "We gotta stop it."

The Dragon Witch huffed, embers burning in their nostrils as if they were contemplating roasting the two alive. "I WAS GOING TO TAKE HIM STRAIGHT BACK TO HIS PARENTS! HE WOULDN'T BE INVOLVED WITH HONESTY IF IT WEREN"T FOR YOU!"

"Envy didn't know Honesty was planning to kill Apathy!" shouted Pride, heat rising in his cheeks.

"IT'S STILL YOUR FAULT!" They shouted. Pride stepped between them and Envy casually, asserting his dominance.

"Look, we made mistakes. We all have. I used to believe that Honesty was fighting for our rights. Envy may accidentally have gotten a child killed. You've done things." Pride's gaze was careful, accusatory without being demanding.

To his surprise, the Dragon Witch sighed, looking down. "I've done a lot that has resulted in people like Wrath or Deceit getting hurt. More then you know," they said, flinching as memories came back. The desperate, pleading look in Deceit's eyes as they helped Roman force-feed him the love potion. The terrible sadness and regret in Wrath's when they gave him the poison after tearing down his self-esteem. "I can't cause them more pain, not... not like this. I can't let the child get murdered." They sighed, holding out a hand to take the note. "I'll bring the letter to them."

Pride handed them the letter, smiling thankfully. He reached down, hauling a swollen and beat up Envy to his feet and half carrying him. "Thank you," he said. The Dragon Witch nodded sadly and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

It would be hard for a figment of Thomas's imagination to get into the commons that the side resided in. Typically, the Dragon Witch only had access to the Duke and The Prince's castles, each having their own portals to the side's living spaces. But there were guards, and who knew what other beasts waiting to hinder their travels. Pride sighed, beginning to lug Envy back home. He hoped they got the letter in time; it had their whole plan on it. The way they could save Apathy. It had to work.

As Pride approached the near dark mansion, he saw movement- or, he thought he did- at the curtains of Honesty's window. A trick of the light, he prayed and took Envy inside to help him clean the wounds the Dragon Witch had given him while dragging him across the forest floor.

It was hard not to have an existential crisis while trying to give somebody stitches up the side of their arm. His hands were shaking a little, and he was moving robotically, ignoring Envy's whines of pain instead to dwell on his own thoughts.

'I'm betraying my boyfriend: my boss, the closest person in my life. The only person who loves me,' he thought. But it was to save a child's life. That, at least to him, made it all worth it. Pride only hoped he'd be successful.


	41. It's The End Of The World As We Know It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody. This is a very short chapter, but I think it's enough. I'll try and get the next one posted as soon as possible, I promise.
> 
> Warnings: Death and some gore.
> 
> Also, I realized I had forgotten to ask! If there are any other things ya'll think I should tag this story, let me know! I will be more than happy to oblige you.

Honesty sat at his desk, watching Apathy color on some paper he had given him to distract the young side. Pride was standing in the corner of the room, glancing out the window every few moments. The last eight minutes of the hour were ticking by, and Honesty began sharpening a large kitchen knife. "Sir, don't you think we should allow a little more time?" Pride suggested nervously.

Honesty raised an eyebrow, shrugging. "I don't see a reason, too; if they were coming, they would've already." He did not fail to notice Pride's discomfort. So, Honesty set down the knife, stood up, and walked over to Pride. He bit his lip, clearly thinking, before finally nodding to himself, as if he had arrived at a decision. He took Pride's hands in his- they were clammy -and he smiled reassuringly. "My darling, if it will put you at ease, I will wait until the end of the hour. I understand this is difficult for you, but I do appreciate you sticking by me."

Pride felt as though there were rocks in his lungs. Honesty cupped Pride's cheek in his hand, casually forcing the taller side to look at him. He felt so ashamed, and yet, he knew that the unease that filled him would be nothing compared to the joy of saving Apathy. He just hoped it would work. Apathy suddenly sprang to his feet, ran over and pressed his nose to the window, looking down at the ground below. "Janus!" He squealed, as the deceptive side was the first to rise up, followed not a second later by Remus, and then the others.

Honesty let go of Pride and went back to his desk. "My dear, would you mind going down to greet our guests?" Honesty asked, and Pride was out the door before he was even finished. He met Envy in the hall, and together they opened the door.

Pride's eyes were immediately drawn to Sloth and Wrath, who stood in the front of the group. His old family, he thought wistfully. Sloth had the decency to smile, but Wrath simply scowled. "The Dragon Witch got your letter to Roman. We're ready."

"You know the plan, then?" Pride asked. There were nods of agreement from the group of sides.

Envy smiled, and waved a hand, ushering Virgil and Emile to follow him. Both of these sides had been new to the mindscape at the time of the banishment, so Pride was relying on the fact that Honesty would not remember their existence, or at least not question their absence. Envy would climb with the two through the window behind Honesty's desk, as Pride and the rest distracted Honesty long enough to gather Apathy. Or at least, that was the plan.

Pride led the sides with him through the halls. The other sins were gathered in Honesty's office, waiting to watch the great confrontation, so the house was eerily silent. "Thank you for doing this," muttered Nero, walking beside Pride. 

"I'm sorry for not believing you and Sloth that Honesty was a bad egg from the start," Pride said, his heart rate speeding up as they approached the door to the room. The took a deep breath, and opened the door, allowing the non-banished sides to file in and stand across the room from Honesty, his sins, and... Apathy. Apathy smiled brightly, though visibly flinched when he saw Roman, who stood at the back of the group. He looked down at his feet.

"Ahh, gentlemen!" Honesty said excitedly, sitting on his desk and swinging his legs back and forth. "How dreadful to see you again. Deceit, you're looking..." he paused, searching for the words. "As hideous as ever. I'm glad you came; I was beginning to worry that you didn't care for dear Apathy's life!" He beckoned Pride to come and stand beside him, which the man did, uncomfortably. 

"Honesty, we have come for Apathy, and are willing to follow through with your request to be a part of Thomas's life again," said Janus, his eyes trained carefully on the man. 

Honesty smiled, sliding off the desk and placing a hand on Apathy's shoulder. "Oh, excellent! There is just a teeny, tiny problem, Deceit." Everyone's eyes were trained on Honesty, who did not notice that the window behind him was being pushed open by Virgil.

"And what is that, Honesty?" Remus asked, all of them holding their breaths, hoping that they would be able to stall long enough.

"I don't want my old world back. I want to go on knowing I broke your hearts!" He did not reach for the knife on his desk, but rather into the waistband on his skirt, from which he pulled a revolver. "Just as you, dear Pride, have broken mine!"

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Pride reached to pull the gun from Honesty's grip, Nero, Remus, and Janus ran forward to get Apathy- but they were to slow. Honesty fired the gun, the bullet flying straight through Pride's chest. He grabbed Apathy, who screamed, and pressed the barrel to Apathy's temple. "Not a step further, boys!" He smirked, and everyone froze.

The sins stared in horror as Pride gripped at his uniform, his fingers coming back stained with blood. Honesty had shot Pride! Their Pride! His face was filled with utter terror as he fell to his knees, gasping. "You must understand, Pride," said Honesty, his silver eyes filled with tears but his smile broader and more manic than ever. "You could never hide things from me! I'm Honesty! Do you think I wouldn't know that my boyfriend was double-crossing me?!" He laughed over Apathy's cries. "Now, for what I was planning to do."

Pride now sat leaned against the leg of the desk, clutching his gushing wound as he struggled to keep his eyes open; to stanch the bleeding. But then he smiled, relieved. Envy, Virgil, and Picani had come through the window. They stood behind Honesty; they would save Apathy when he couldn't!

The gun fired again. Janus's broken scream filled the air.


	42. Fallen Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeeze, sorry this took so much longer for me to put up than usual. I've had a really bad mental health week. But! Here we are! I'm gonna leave you with a warning for some gore and character death, and you can be on your merry way! (:

Janus tore from the creative twin's grasp, rushing forward and pushing Apathy away. Virgil reached out, grabbing Honesty's arm, but he still got a shot off- into Janus's hand. Emile grabbed Honesty and pinned him against the desk- an easy task considering Honesty was so small.

Janus's knees gave out, falling into Remus's arms in pain. Nero hugged Apathy, pulling him away from the others to dote over him. Honesty was laughing, but it was not for long. Envy slapped him on his way over to Pride.

Lust and Envy were the first to go to Pride. His eyes were glazed, his brow furrowed as he took his shaky breaths. "...Sorry, I'm so sorry," he whimpered, straining to look at Janus. The side looked at him, his face a mess under his tears. He nodded at Pride. It was such a simple gesture, but at that moment he knew Janus didn't blame him. That, at least, was enough.

"Pride," Envy said firmly. "Pride you need to look at me. You have nothing to apologize for, Apathy's still alive! You did so well, Pride." He demanded as Lust ran over and grabbed Logan's arm. He pulled the dazed logical side over to Pride, pleading for Logan to help Pride.

"I can't..." Logan choked, after examining the wound. "There's too much damage, I have no way to-"

Pride interrupted him. "D-Don't beat yourself up... Logic. I knew this would end with me dead no matter what." His eyes drooped as Envy continued to coax him to stay alert, trying desperately to do something, anything that might prolong his friend's life. But it was no use. Envy cradled his friend, flinching as Pride went limp in his arms.

"Oh, God..." Envy murmured, his eyes filling with tears.

____________________

Nero felt sick. Like he couldn't breathe properly like his head was going to explode. But here his boy was, crying but safe in his arms. He held Apathy tightly, shielding him from the room. "Hey, you're safe now, sport. It's okay, nothing's gonna hurt you."

Apathy slowly stopped crying as much, but he still buried his face in Nero's shirt, afraid to look away. "Is Pride okay?"

Nero glanced up. Greed was kneeling beside Envy, trying to pull the sobbing sin away from Pride. Envy was half-heartedly fighting him, insisting Pride was going to be okay, that he'd wake up, trying to grab his friend, as if to wake him. He flinched, biting his lip, unsure how to respond. Roman did. He came over, sitting down cross-legged about a foot away. Nero pulled Apathy away. "Go away, Roman. You have plenty more bones that I can break, you know."

Apathy looked up, and Roman was stung by how afraid he looked. Roman cleared his throat, his face warming. "I... I wanted to apologize. Apathy, I haven't been good to you. Or you, Nero. I don't expect either of you to forgive me, but I wanted you to know that I don't ever want you to get hurt. I am so glad that you're safe."

Nero wanted to scoff. To reach out and slap his ex-boyfriend. But he was, for the first time, seeming genuinely sincere. He nodded, smiling softly. His eyes darkened a little when Apathy reached out for Roman, making grabby- motions with his fists. Nero begrudgingly set Apathy in Roman's lap.

Apathy turned to Roman, who looked half shocked that his son would want anything to do with him. "It's okay, Ro. I forgive you." He wrapped his arms around the creative side and yawned, cuddling into his chest, and quickly fell asleep, despite all the noise of the room.

And for the first time in a long time, Roman felt good.

________________________

Remy walked over to Emile, who was pinning Honesty. "Hey babe. You need a hand with that?"

Emile smiled, nodding gratefully. Remy reeled back and slugged Honesty in the face, stopping his rude chatter and snickering. "Remy!" Emile said, but it was more amused than angry.

Remy leaned against the desk, looking at the sins. Gluttony was standing between Honesty and Pride, looking back and forth between them, his eyes wet. He did not cry. Greed was kneeling beside Envy, trying to pull the sobbing sin away from Pride. Lust was sitting by Logan, Lust's face buried in his hands. Remy didn't want to think about how he felt. He had never really like Pride- he had been so full of himself, back in the day- but it felt so unreal. 

He described the feeling to Emile, quietly. Emile smiled softly. "Baby, you're in shock. Why don't you sit down, or try and do something to take your mind off it, okay?" He stepped away from the unconscious Honesty, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. The comfort felt so nice.

____________________________

Logan's heart was racing. He shouldn't have told Apathy about the sins. Whether Apathy had gone to them on purpose or not, it was his fault, wasn't it? That Pride- he couldn't save Pride, who had known he would die. They had saved Apathy from Honesty and Honesty had been furious and killed Pride for his betrayal. It was so unfair... he felt somebody shaking his shoulder. He glanced over, pulled from his daze by teary Lust. 

"They're calling you," Lust said, pointing at Remus, Virgil, and Janus. Logan nodded, standing up and walking toward them. Remus had used his sash to wrap up Janus's bleeding hand, the green now stained a muddy reddish color. Virgil was holding Janus up, as the snake side looked incredibly faint. Remus looked up at Logan, his eyes a little wild.

"There you are! I don't have any idea what I'm doing! I need your help, Lo!" He said desperately as Janus whimpered. Remus's throat was tight. His arm was wrapped around Janus, as he looked back to the wound- and he just couldn't rip his eyes away. It was so terrible- Janus's face was devoid of anything, so pale and full of pain, flicks of his own blood matted in his hair and splattered across his face. He didn't know what to do- how to comfort Janus, how to react- for how much he loved the gore, this was nothing like the intrusive imagery that went through his head.... 'through his head.... like a bullet... eww.' he shuddered, allowing tears to slide down his face as he whispered soothing things to Janus.

Logan's mind cleared. He needed to help Janus. Pride was in the past (though the rather immediate one) and he needed to deal with this. "We need to get him back to my room, I have better medical supplies there."

"What about him?" Virgil motioned to Honesty.

"We'll have Thomas address him later, for now, let's leave him here and focus on Janus-" Logan began, but he was quickly cut off.

"Leave him here?! You can't!" Gluttony insisted. His voice was filled with anger and sadness. "If you allow him to remain, I will kill him."

"So would I," agreed Lust and Greed. "After he murdered Pride, you can't leave him here and expect to get him back in one piece!"

Logan sighed, exasperated by the difficult sins. He understood their friend had been murdered, but measures needed to be taken accordingly. Surprisingly, Virgil had an answer before he did. "Let him die, then. what's it matter if he lives?"

Emile sighed heavily. "Killing a side will have irrecoverably bad effects on Thomas, especially one such as Honesty. We have no idea how he will be doing after losing his Pride."

Logan smiled, tiredly, at Emile. He felt Patton come forward and link his arm in his, clearly stating his feelings on the subject. 

Remus pursed his lips, his eyes twitching with excitement. "If you won't let us kill him, we should chop his arms and legs off! Then we can lock him up in the cold, damp dungeons under my castle." There were cheers from Lust, Greed, and Gluttony. Greed had given up on trying to pull Envy away from Pride for the moment, coming over and joining the conversation. 

"Maybe not the limb chopping, but I think that's a good idea," Emile agreed. "At least for the time being." And so it was decided. Patton, Remy, and Emile would be taking Honesty to Remus's castle.

However, when Patton walked to Honesty, he felt somebody grab at his pant leg. "Wait," came a small, sad voice. He looked down. It was Envy, still cradling Pride. "Y-you can't.... you can't just leave, please. My best friend is... is..." he choked, looking down. He was talking to a light side. He was talking to Morality. He knew the father figure had never liked him, but... "I d-don't know what to do."

To his surprise, Patton knelt beside him, putting a soft hand on his back. It was so calming that he let the moral side massage his wrists, helping him unclamp his bloody fingers from Pride's uniform. Patton hummed. "Your friend did a really great thing. You know that, right kiddo?" Envy nodded shakily. Patton smiled, his voice was soft and comforting. "He was a hero. And a hero deserves medals." Patton closed his eyes, waving his hand, summoning a beautiful, ornate gold medal. He reached forward, pinning onto Pride's chest.

Envy was baffled. Pride's medals had been his favorite thing- they had been what had been taken and burned (Like Roman's sash or Nero's boots, that source of their abilities and core of their personality) and this was such an incredible gesture...

Envy dove forward, pinning Patton in a big hug. He was babbling, sobbing and thanking him, apologizing forever the following Honesty in the first place- he didn't even really know what he was saying. But Patton wrapped his strong arms around him and hugged him back, helping Envy feel just a little bit less empty.

Finally, Patton pulled back. He glanced around the room at the others and gathering Gluttony, Greed, Lust, and Envy together. "You kiddos have suffered so much, why don't you come home? I think Thomas is old and mature enough to handle you," he giggled. "I mean, he can deal with Remus."

They all appeared stunned. Lust was the first to find his voice again. "OMG, are you serious? You think it'll be okay?" Patton nodded. He was Morality, after all. As hard as it was for him to openly accept dark sides, he needed to make this change in himself. I mean, he had already almost gotten Apathy killed by threatening him for being himself. It was time to get everything fixed.

"Yeah. Everything will be just fine."


	43. Marquess Apathy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From my limited, hurried research I am fairly sure that Marquess can be the son of a Prince or Duke in some royal lines, so do forgive me if I'm wrong! (:

Janus woke up in his bed. The first thing he noticed was that his hand was wrapped expertly with bandages. It hurt, but he realized that he must have been giving painkillers, or it would likely be far worse. He inspected the bandages for a long moment before becoming aware of loud snoring nearby.

Remus was asleep in a chair next to the bed. Janus's heart swelled. The creative side had been waiting, watching to make sure he was okay. Janus slid his stiff legs from under the blankets, taking his time to stand up. When he found his balance, he took a blanket from the bed and carefully draped it over his husband, not wanting to disturb him.

Janus crept to the door, cracking it open. He saw into the commons, and part of the kitchen. Patton was making cookies with Remy and Gluttony, but it was clear the three of them were eating too much of the batter to have enough for many cookies. Lust was nodding along as Roman was telling him some fantastical story, but it was clear from the look on his face that he was only giving Roman this much attention in an effort to flirt. Logan, Nero, and Greed were playing Candyland with Apathy, thought Logan and Greed seemed bored out of their minds by the strategy-less game. Envy was sitting next to Picani and Virgil, and they seemed to be having a quiet, emotional conversation. From the way that Envy was tightly hugging his knees, it must have been regarding Pride.

Janus jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Remus had woken and now stood behind him. "Hey," Remus said sleepily, wrapping an arm around Janus. "Were you going to leave? Without waking me up?"

Janus smiled softly, going back into the bedroom. "I didn't want to bother you; you seemed so tired."

Remus frowned, his brow scrunching up. "Aww, you're not a bother, Jay. Come on, you should take a seat, you lost a lot of blood." He led his husband back to the bed, and the two of them sat down. "How's your hand? It looked so horrible, you fainted you know, it was gushing like a hole in the hull of a ship, so much blood-"

Janus used his uninjured hand to take Remus's, helping to ground the spiraling side. "Hey, but I'm okay now. I'm okay."

Remus shuddered, his lip quivering as he looked away. "I... I was so scared, Jay. When you ran away from me when you grabbed the gun... If Logan hadn't been able to do everything he did..." Remus was shaking. It took Janus a moment to realize that Remus was crying. "I could have lost you!" He sobbed, hugging Janus tightly. Remus buried his face in Janus's shirt, crying as Janus combed his fingers through his love's hair.

"Ree..." Janus said softly, unsure what to say. His darling Remus was so terrified by the thought of losing him, that he simply hadn't known what to do. And so he had waited, desperately waited, for Janus to wake up, to hold him, to comfort him just by the fact that he remained alive. "We're okay now, love. Everything's okay."

Remus sniffled, gathering his composure. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Just... please never be so reckless again! I couldn't bear it if you got hurt!"

Janus chuckled, drying Remus's cheek with his thumb. "I promise. Now, how long was I out for?"

Remus glanced at the clock, counting on his fingers. "'bout 5 hours? First you fainted, then Logan was worried you were gonna wake up while he was working on your hand so he kept you under a bit longer."

Janus leaned in, pressing a kiss to Remus's slightly chapped lips. "Well I'm sorry I had you scared for so long, Ree. That's awful."

Remus kissed him back, a faint smile on his face. "I'm just glad you're still alive." They held each other for a few moments, allowing the gravity of the events to sink in, and feeling all the more grateful that they were able to hold one another.

The door creaked open, and before either of them knew it, Apathy was climbing up onto the bed and cramming himself into their hug. "Jannnnus!" He giggled happily, cuddling close between the two of them. "You're awake!"

The door was pushed open, and there stood Roman. He knelt down by the door. "App, why don't you give your dad and uncle a little time alone, okay? In the meantime, why don't you and I play dress-up?"

Apathy laughed, wiggling out of the hug and running back to Roman, taking his hand and trying to drag him back to the commons. Roman offered his brother and Janus an apologetic, sincere smile and closed the door behind them. "Roman's still here?" Janus asked, holding Remus just a little tighter.

"Yeah, Apathy wanted him. He's been really helpful with getting the sins set back up in their old rooms. Patton's little reality check-trick seemed to knock some sense into him." Remus answered, carefully watching Janus for his reaction.

Janus bit his lip. He didn't want Roman anywhere near Apathy, even if they were both his parents. "When is he going away?" Janus asked, trying to keep his voice steady. Maybe he was just tired, and his hand hurt. But having Roman back around? After he had repeatedly sexually abused him? After it had been his fault that all of this had happened in the first place? He felt his eyes welling up with tears. He wiped them away, hoping Remus wouldn't see.

"Oh... Jay..." Remus said, massaging his husband's back. "I'm sure Roman'll understand if you want him to leave. I'll go take him home, or have somebody do it, don't worry-" 

Janus stood, shaking his head. He walked to the door, standing in it again to watch the other sides. Roman had taken a curtain and crafted it into a cape for Apathy. Apparently he had gotten some other side to summon some wooden swords for them, as now Apathy was engaged in a battle. The others were all watching and laughing. Janus sighed. "Apathy's been through a lot. If he's having fun, I'm not going to ruin it."

"Janus, you've been through a lot! If Roman is making you uncomfortable, he should leave!" Remus tried in vain to convince Janus, but when he saw the smile on his husband's face at seeing Apathy so excited, he fell silent. If this was what Janus wanted, he'd allow it. But oh, if Roman even looked at Janus wrong, he was getting a morningstar shaped dent in the back of his head.

Patton spotted the boys standing in the doorway. "Hey, guys! You slept through dinner, but I can heat up some leftovers for you if you want!" Without looking, he smacked Gluttony's fingers with a wooden spoon as the side tried to steal more of the chocolate chips for the cookies. Gluttony yelped, but it turned into a laugh as he snatched the entire bag and ran off. 

Patton ran after him, laughing and begging one of the other sides to help him, but it ended up that Greed had similar intentions. He stole the chocolate chips from Gluttony and ran in the opposite direction. "Ahh, Marquess Apathy, the thief is making off with the treasure! We must stop him at once!" Roman called, and with that he and Apathy took off after Greed and the chocolate chips.

The room erupted into laughter. Janus smiled, taking Remus's hand in his and holding it tight. Maybe now, they could finally enjoy a peaceful, happy mindscape.


	44. I'm Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions of gore from previous chapters. That's pretty much all, folks!

Thomas was sitting with Joan when it happened. They were reading through the comments on the latest video together. Thomas had been so excited to see how the fans were reacting- they seemed to like his latest project as much as he had. Until suddenly, he wasn't.

It was as if he had been hit over the head. For a brief moment, the world turned black and white, and his heart now felt heavy. "Hey, you okay man?" Joan asked when they noticed that Thomas was staring off into space, looking slightly pained.

He focused, the color returning to his vision. "Uhm... I..." he wanted to lie, but it seemed Janus was far to tied up at the moment to help him with one, but with what he had no idea. "I don't know. I just feel... weird, I guess," he stuttered. "I might be coming down with something, I'm not sure."

Joan stood, straightening their beanie. "Well, I'll leave you to get some rest then, I'd hate to get sick too." They grabbed their phone and keys, waving as they stepped out the door. "Talk to you later, Thomas!" 

As soon as Joan closed the door behind them, Thomas slipped off the couch like a boiled noodle, curling up on the floor, hugging his knees. His heart hurt, and he felt so exasperated- as if he had had a day filled with minor inconveniences and the frustration had just built up. He rubbed his temples, trying to understand. He had felt great a few moments before! He laid there for the better part of an hour, his mind spiraling but unsure what to make of his feelings. Had something happened with the sides?

Thomas had only just had the thought when he heard a whoosh of air- the sound of a side rising up directly next to him. Emile was kneeling beside him, his expression kind. "Hey, Thomathy. You're not feeling great, are you?" Thomas rubbed his eyes, shaking his head and pushing himself up to a sitting position. It was then that he saw a new side, half hiding behind the Doctor.

"Who... who's that?" Thomas asked. The side winced, looking away.

"Well Thomas, as you know there are other sides beyond the ones that you've met already. Patton and I believe that, after recent events, it might be therapeutic for you to meet the others, one at a time. What do you think?" Thomas was to busy inspecting the side to answer right away.

His hair was messy, and he had bags beneath his eyes that reminded Thomas of Virgil- but it was clear these weren't makeup. He was pretty scratched up too, it seemed, as he had cuts and bruises all over his face and neck. The side wore a dark-green pinstriped suit, though the jacket was gone, in it's place a red tee-shirt. The side, when he saw Thomas staring, locked eyes with him, and Thomas could tell that he was in pain. A LOT of pain, it seemed. Finally, Thomas spoke. "I mean, It sounds like a great idea, but I'm really not feeling up to it right now, Emile."

Emile pushed up his glasses. "That's actually exactly why I believe you should meet Envy, here. See, there was an incident involving some of the sides you aren't aware of, and..." Emile took a deep breath, glancing at Envy. "Well, I suppose I'll try and summarise. Roman got upset when Apathy accidentally took away to 'feeling' of the beginning of Macbeth the other day, and essentially threw a fit and told Apathy he wished he was never born, resulting in Apathy running away. Nero beat the crap out of him and broke up with him, and we all began out the search for Apathy. It turns out he had wandered into the imagination, where he had come in contact with the Dragon Witch, and later a group of sides that were banished because they wanted to help you learn more about yourself at a far younger age then was likely healthy." He paused to see if Thomas was following- he was barely holding on- and continued. "These were the other five-seven deadly sins, excluding Nero and Remy, and the side Honesty, who was acting as their leader. Honesty had always hated Janus, and decided to kill Apathy in front of Janus to 'make him suffer.' However, the sides' Pride and Envy teamed up to assist us in stopping Honesty."

For the first time, Envy spoke. He had a nice voice- it reminded Thomas vaguely of Mario, but it was very somber. "And Honesty... m-murdered Pride for betraying him."

Thomas felt even sicker. "You mean... I lost one of my sides?" He murmured, staring at Picani, seeming to hope he would deny it. "I didn't even know you guys could die! And I never even met Pride, that's not..." He bit his lip, running his fingers through his hair. 

Emile carefully stood up. "It is my belief that it would be best for the two of you to talk. Envy, you were the closest with Pride, I imagine it will be the easiest for you and Thomas to have a conversation. I'll be back in a half-hour, alright?" He asked softly, making sure Envy was comfortable with him leaving. He wasn't, but Emile seemed to think it would be best. Might as well give it a shot, right? He had nothing left to lose. With a shaky nod, he waved Emile away. The therapist patted him on the shoulder reassuringly and sunk out.

They had a few moments of awkward silence. "So..." Thomas murmured. "What was Pride like?"

Envy smiled sadly. "Oh, he was great. He had this beautiful white Navy uniform, and he used to have medals. He was smart and brave, and a bit of a clean freak." Envy's smile fell. "I was always the third wheel though. For him and Honesty. Honesty flattered him incessantly, and because Honesty can't lie, it all went straight to Pride's head. And that's why Honesty tried to get him to help kill Apathy. But... Pride was a good person. He..." Envy choked, looking around the room, seemingly trying to avoid a realization he had just had. "He knew Honesty would kill him. And he was willing to do that to save Apathy."

Thomas tried to be sympathetic, but it's so hard to comfort somebody after a loss. He didn't even know Envy or Pride or Honesty, how could he make Envy or himself feel any better? "You seemed to be really close to him." 

Envy smiled, stifling a laugh. "We were close," was all he managed to say. But it was clear he was hiding his true feelings, that he didn't want to really say. Thomas chose not to pry.

There was a question, plaguing at the back of Thomas's mind. Would it be rude to ask? Emile seemed to want them to connect. "You don't have to answer this, but... why were you and Honesty and all the other sins banished in the first place?" Envy paused. He didn't seem to want to answer the question. "You know what, it's fine, don't worry about it-"

"No! I... I owe you an explanation." Envy picked at the sleeve of his shirt, unable to meet Thomas's eyes. "See, when you were a lot younger, the sides were very different. There weren't light or dark sides, but there was defiantly a hierarchy. King Creativity, Morality, Logic, Honesty, and Mental Stability- that was Emile- where the lights, and Deceit and all of us sins were the darks. Virgil hadn't developed until after, but we can talk about that another time. Janus and Patton had an agreement that until you were older, the dark sides would remain hidden. However, Honesty believed that by keeping things from you, we were damaging his job or something. So he tried to rally us all behind him in disregarding this agreement, even if it may be harmful to you. He had us convinced that he was always, always right, and I mean, he was a light side, so how could he not be?!" Envy chuckled darkly, shaking his head at his own actions. 

"Sloth, or Remy, didn't want to follow Honesty, and he convinced his then-boyfriend Wrath to stay away from him as well. That's why they outnumbered us and we lost, clearly for the best. I'm just glad that the sadistic bastard is locked up now." Envy finished.

Thomas nodded, processing the information. "I guess that's good. I'm glad that everyone else is okay, but I'm so sorry about Pride."

"I'm sorry too, you'll be the one having a hard time." Envy sighed. There was another long pause.

"I just... I loved him." Envy said helplessly, hot tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. He couldn't look at Thomas. "I hated watching him in that toxic relationship, but he seemed happy. I just wanted him to be happy, even if it made my heart ache terribly."

Thomas reached out, laying a comforting hand on Envy's shoulder. He seemed to de-tense a little, but he was still crying. "And then... Honesty murdered him. He died in my arms, Thomas," whispered Envy, staring at his hands in his lap. They felt raw- before Emile had brought him over, Patton had helped him scrub Pride's dried blood off his hands, working it out from under his fingernails and off his wrists. Patton had taken his jacket too, promising to get him a new one, as the old was so terribly stained it would be unwearable. He felt so exposed, so terribly, painfully alone...

He stopped crying.

Emile came and picked him up, talking to Thomas a little bit. Envy didn't hear any of it. Emile brought him back to the commons. All the others were there- playing with Apathy, chatting, cooking...all but Janus and Remus, but he imagined that they were still in recovery. 

It was sickening. How could they all act as if everything was FINE!? As if the 7 deadly sins hadn't just been downsized? As if Pride, his dear sweet Pride, was completely FINE. As if he would come out of the other room like nothing had happened, sling an arm around Envy's shoulder and laugh, and everything was FINE. Everything was FINE, for them. The other sins were a bit distressed, but they had made no move to punish Honesty for this transgression. No, they were FINE will letting him rot out his days in the dungeons of the Duke's palace. For all of them, this was a FINE result. 

Virgil sat down on one side of him, and Emile leaned over the arm of the couch on the other. "Envy, are you okay?" Virgil asked, his expression sincere and polite. But he was not upset. He was FINE. 

"I'm FINE," he lied, snapping slightly. It felt so good to lie. He had never really been able to get away with it before, what with living with Honesty.

Virgil and Emile glanced at one another. "Envy, I don't..." Emile began, only to be immediately cut off.

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all. I'm FINE," he insisted, a delightful idea popping into his head.

And now he was.

Because now, he was going to kill Honesty.

Maybe then, things could be just FINE again.


	45. Purge The Weakness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sup lads, here's the new chapter. No real warnings, but they do talk about some of the nasty things that went down in the old chapters.

Remus watched from a distance as Envy knelt beside Pride's coffin, which was about to be lowered into the ground. Envy had been practically mute since he had talked to Thomas, clearly so caught up in his own thoughts that he was unable to hold a conversation. Envy's hand rested on the edge of the coffin just slightly, as if he was afraid to let go but also to touch. 

Patton had thought it might be a nice idea for them to bury Pride out in the imagination, along with holding a wake. Remus had put it together, working hard to make sure not to create anything inappropriate out of habit. And now he watched Envy uneasily from the side of the yard. There was an aura of darkness around him, they could all tell. Emile, Patton, and Apathy especially, and all three had gone out of their way to try and distract or talk with Envy. And yet, he was firm on his declaration that he was completely fine and wanted to be left alone. 

As Janus's hand was injured, it was Nero who held Apathy in his arms, clearly trying to divert the little boy's attention from the dead too much. Remus began making his way over to his husband when he caught sight of Roman out of the corner of his eye. Roman was standing at the edge of the yard and appeared to be speaking with somebody masked by the trees. While a funeral might not have been the best place for him to exact revenge on his brother, the suspicious activity couldn't be ignored. He snuck up next to Roman, and elbowed him hard in the side, causing the man to yelp- in surprise and pain- and jump like a cat that had just been sprayed with water. Remus saw who he was talking too.

"You!" Remus growled, summoning his Morningstar. The Dragon Witch stood at the edge of the woods.

"Wait!" They said, throwing up their hands in surrender. "I'm not here for conflict! I just wanted to talk!"

Remus slung the Morningstar over his shoulder, feigning thoughtfulness. "Hmm, let's see... you assisted my brother in his plot to rape my husband and kill me so that you could steal my land in the imagination. You tried to get Nero to kill himself because you were throwing a temper tantrum and wanted Roman to pay for not getting you what you wanted. You were planning on holding my nephew for ransom, according to Greed. You know, I don't think that I will trust you, DW."

The Dragon Witch sighed. "I know I made mistakes. But I tried to reconcile them by taking Pride's letter to you! And I just wanted to apologize and see how Envy's doing, that poor boy."

Roman tilted his head in confusion. "Why do you care about Envy more than any of the other sins? There are other people impacted by his death; hell, Thomas can hardly eat. So what's your real angle?"

The Dragon Witch looked a little frustrated at the accusation. "My angle?! My angle is that I'm worried about him! Anyone why ever saw the two of them together could see that Envy'd do anything for Pride. And that boy has some seriously... violent tendencies. You should see what he did to my leg with a harpoon!" They paused, looking a little sheepish. "Also, I was wondering... now that the sins have moved out and Honesty's locked away... can I have their old place? My cave gets all cold and damp sometimes, and-" Remus swung his morningstar. The Dragon Witch screeched and hurriedly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. 

Remus made the Morningstar disappear, dusted off his hands, and slammed his shoulder into Roman intentionally as he began to walk away. "Hey! Ree, come on! I know you're mad at me, but I'm trying to be better! Can't you cut me some slack?"

Remus barked a laugh, mocking his brother's voice. "Oh, I've been so good that a child I was verbally abusive towards doesn't hate me! See, I can be a good person, despite all of the dozens of vile things I've done the last couple of months!" He threw up his hands just like Roman, really getting into character. "I think that one little apology and a few half-assed gestures will make everyone forget that I raped my brother's husband!" his voice was rising, his face growing hot. He felt bad, it wasn't fair to the dead or the mourning to have this fight here, but he had been repressing his feelings long enough. Remus had tried to believe his brother was just a sick person in need of serious help. He had tried not to hate him. But damn, how dare he believe that things could go back to the way they were.

The other sides had caught wind of the fight, and were glancing over. Patton's lips were pressed together as if he wasn't sure whether or not to regulate. Nero, however, had no such moral hindrance. He gave Apathy over to the closest set of arms- unfortunately, this was Lust (out of all of the sins he disliked Lust the most)- and walked over to the two. Janus followed a few steps behind them.

"How can you possibly think that after all the pain you've caused, you deserve a second chance, Roman!? That you shouldn't be locked up down in those dark dungeons with Honesty? I think that's where you belong. With the rats!" He grunted as he shoved Roman. He knew his brother had broken ribs from Nero still on the mend, but it was nice to see his white shirt stained in the muddy grass.

Remus made no move to continue to hit Roman, but Janus firmly grabbed his arm anyway. "Ree, you need to take a deep breath. This isn't the time or place to do this." Remus took Janus's uninjured hand and held it, taking a few deep breathes as Janus quietly counted.

Meanwhile, Nero was standing over Roman. He made no move to help him up, just leaned down, speaking quietly. "Roman, either you're making scene, or you're genuinely hurt. I'm betting the former, so get your ass out of the mud and beat it." Roman shakily climbed to his feet, looking around.

Virgil, Remy, and Logan were glaring. Lust and Gluttony were talking to Apathy, trying to keep his attention off the fighting adults, but the little boy's eyes kept skating over the scene. Patton and Emile were watching nervously as if seeing somebody trying to defuse a bomb. But it was Greed that really caught his attention. He was wandering away from the group, his hands cupped around his mouth. He was calling for somebody, but he was just a little too far away to quite hear.

"Nero, where's Envy?" Roman wheezed, holding his ribcage. 

The side looked around, a slight panic showing in his eyes. "Oh shit."

___________________________________________

The dungeons were dark, that was for sure. As it had been Remus who concocted them, he steeled himself for all kinds of horrors to be residing in the damp, eerily warm dungeons. The smell was awful, and as Envy lifted his lantern to look behind the iron bars, he also worked carefully not to step in any of the puddles of unknown liquids- be it poison, piss, puss, or blood, he wasn't quite sure. 

It was almost satisfying enough that this was the place Honesty had been banished too. But, he had committed to the task, his harpoon glowing in the light of the lantern. 

"I was wondering when one of you would pay me a visit! It gets so lonely down here!" said Honesty, the cheery tone in his voice chilling. Envy spun around, holding the lantern up to see inside. 

Envy wasn't sure what to say. It was frightening, seeing him standing there; the murderer. Honesty's eyes were big and maniac, as if he was hungry to shed more blood. "What, are you so captivated in my beauty you've lost your way with words, or have you come with a purpose?" Honesty winked, leaning against the bars. 

Envy set the lantern upon the floor, reached out, and grabbed the side by the shirt, slamming him against the bars. "I'm not going to fall for your tricks, you piece of shit. I'm here for revenge."

Honesty smiled widely. "Aww, you poor thing! It must have been eating you up inside, knowing that not only did I have Pride's undivided love and affection, but that I was the one who took him away from you, hmm? You were always so full of... envy weren't you?!" He laughed, despite Envy's grip tightening. "You were always frustrated that I had him, weren't you? You never liked me." He coughed, straining as Envy choked him slowly. "But you followed him, and he followed me, and now he's dead!" Honesty laughed, but his face was flushed, struggling for air.

Envy had planned to stab Honesty with the harpoon, but this was much more spiritually healing. "Jeeze, you're disgusting! Didn't you love him too? How could you be so passive about the fact that he's dead!?"

"Oh sure... I loved him," Honesty choked, his speech slurring with the lack of oxygen as he weakly struggled against Envy. "But he was disloyal. One must... always purge out the weaknesses," his eyes were bulging, and he seemed to be losing consciousness.

"Think of that as what I'm doing, Honesty. Purging the weakness," Envy smiled as Honesty stopped struggling, falling unconscious. He wasn't dead yet- he could still feel his pulse- but he could sense the life draining from him.

And damn, it felt good.


	46. Sympathy For The Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, ya'll! I'm so excited to be wrapping up this fic, I've been working on it a lot the past several months. 
> 
> I was hoping to ask all of you loyal readers what you thought: I've been thinking about continuing this plotline in a series. Is that something you darling readers would be interested in seeing more of? Anyways, just thought I'd ask.
> 
> Warnings: Panic attack, minor self-harm descriptions.

Where could Envy be? The sides searched around the yard, but he was nowhere to be found. Roman sat down beside Apathy in the grass, rubbing his ribcage and wincing as the others searched. Apathy picked up a handful of grass and shoved it in his mouth. 

"You shouldn't do that," Roman sighed.

Apathy frowned, his chewing slowing. "But when Janus and Remus were her earlier they told me not to eat grass. Now they aren't here to watch me, and I want to taste it!"

"Just because the people who enforce the rules aren't right there to enforce something doesn't mean that it's suddenly okay to do it," Roman said and reached over to pull the grass from the protesting child's mouth. Then it struck him.

All of the sins had confessed that if they were left alone with Honesty they would kill him. And so the others had put Honesty in a cell to keep them from killing him- or him from hurting them. 

But now Envy wasn't being supervised. So wouldn't he try to get what he wanted? "NERO!" he shouted across the field, and stumbled to his feet.

Nero jogged over. "What's up?" He glanced behind Roman at Apathy. "You shouldn't eat so much grass, sport." Sulking, Apathy picked the grass from his mouth.

"I think Envy might have gone to Remus's castle to kill Honesty."

"What?" Nero asked, confused. "No, he would never. He knows that would hurt Thomas to much-"

"Have you seen how much he's hurting? The Dragon Witch said that Envy had a lot of unrequited love for Pride. Don't you think that's motive enough?"

Nero sighed, nodding slowly. "Alright. C'mon, let's go check on Honesty."

Roman was baffled. "Wait, you want me to come with you?" he felt a little heat rise in his cheeks. Was Nero starting to hate him less? His hanahaki had seemed to go away when they had broken up as if he had completely let his interest in Roman die. But maybe...

"No, I don't want you to come with me, dumbass, I need you to come with me. I'd much rather you be annoying me than interacting with Apathy, no matter how much he seems to like your presence." Roman's expression must have shown that he was hurt because Nero rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be like that. You know well enough why I loathe you. The wounds you inflicted have left deep scars, and your stupid Disney bandaids won't fix it." He stalked off, going over to tell the others about Roman's theory.

Roman tried not to be too disconcerted, but he knew that he deserved this treatment. Hell, every time he looked at Nero he had to see his darkly bruised black eye. Remus was so upset- and it hardly seemed to be at his own near-death experience, but Roman's treatment of Janus.

Janus wouldn't stand within 6 feet of him, and would hurriedly leave if he could whenever Roman entered the room. He was stiff and quiet in Roman's presence, and it seemed like every movement that Roman made around him was threatening to give him a nervous breakdown.

Maybe things would never be the same again. He had fucked up. But maybe with enough time, enough apologies and respect of space, they would stop despising him so.

__________________________________________________

Envy didn't notice that other people had appeared in the room until two strong sets of hands curled around him, yanking him away from Honesty. They felt like bear traps, for the harder he fought to get away the more their fingers pressed into his arms. But that was no pain In comparison to what he felt in his heart. 

It was a burn, fervent desperation in his core he had never felt before. He NEEDED to get away from them. He COULDN'T Fail. And yet, no matter how much he thrashed and pulled, screamed, and cried, they would not allow him to return to his task. 

Honesty lay on the ground of his cell, his neck bruising from Envy's hands. But his chest rose and fell shakily. It was Janus who confirmed this. Finally, Envy stopped struggling. He could hear voices; people talking to him. But he couldn't decipher a word of it or recognize the faces in front of him. They seemed so upset. 

Wordlessly, he sunk to the ground, sitting on the wet stone floor and hugging himself. The hands let him go, and now they were kneeling in front of him. Who was kneeling? He didn't know these people. Where was Pride? He needed Pride. Pride could help him! Pride would be able to explain what was happening, why he suddenly felt so sick, why he was so scared. Pride would know who these people were, where they were. Pride was his friend; friends are there for each other. His heart sank as his memory strengthened. Pride wasn't coming. Pride was gone. 

Envy gripped at his arm tighter, his fingernails pressing crescents into his skin and beginning to draw blood. He had failed! He couldn't do a damn thing right! He couldn't avenge his friend, he couldn't kill, he couldn't... he couldn't breathe. Envy's lungs were tight like he had suddenly been stuffed with cotton. He felt like he was dying. Was he dying? 'Oh, what's it matter anyway,' he thought. 'Nothing's important.' His nails dug deeper, but he was so numb... he could hardly feel it regardless.

__________________________________________________

"Envy! What were you thinking? You can't kill him!" Logan said loudly from beside him. Envy was crying and shouting, trying to tear himself away from Logan and Nero's grip. His shouts were practically gibberish, but he kept repeating that he needed to be let go, that he needed to continue. "Envy, you know that killing Honesty will hurt Thomas! I can't believe you!"Logan wasn't truly angry, but rather exasperated. 

Envy seemed to be looking through him, his mind far away. "Envy?" he asked again, his voice and expression softening. Envy stopped shouting, and he slid like a wet noodle from Logan's grip to the floor. He was clearly having some sort of panic attack. Envy was clawing at his arms, whimpering and seeming to be having trouble breathing.

"Envy, can you hear me?" Nero asked, his voice very quiet. Envy gave no reply. Logan carefully pulled Envy's hands away from him, holding him tightly so he couldn't hurt himself. He smiled, softly, trying to help the sin calm down.

Envy tried to pull his hands away, but Logan wouldn't let him. "Envy, you're safe with us. We won't hurt you," Logan tried to say, but Envy wasn't listening.

Nero sat next to Envy, close enough he wouldn't be heard by the others but far enough away that he wasn't afraid of breaching Envy's fragile bubble of personal space. "I know you're hurting. Sometimes, bad people will do horrible things to the people we love and expect us to be quiet about it," his eyes raked over Roman on the other side of the room, frowning. "But killing them will not be satisfying. It will probably make the problem a lot wore, Envy. There are other forms of punishment that are for more acceptable. I think that this rat-infested shithole will be plenty hellish."

Envy took a shaky breath, his eyes seeming to focus a little bit. "He murdered somebody. Somebody v-very important to me."

"We know. And deep wounds like that aren't so easily healed," Logan said. His own eyes flickered to Roman. The side was checking the bottoms of his shoes for rat crap and frowning when he found it. 

Nero sighed, turning back to Envy. "We're not asking you to forgive him, Envy. But please, don't make the same mistake Honesty did, it will only hurt Thomas more."

Envy nodded slowly, and Logan released his hands. Envy wrapped his arms around Nero, burying his face in the side's leather jacket. "I'm sorry," he murmured, again and again, breaking down into a cascade of tears. Nero rubbed circles on the sin's back, murmuring kind words. 

Honesty sat up, coughing. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he grinned, stretching, and stood up. "Aww, Envy-wenvy couldn't kill me?" he shrieked with laughter. "And now you're crying? That's pathetic."

"It's not pathetic," Roman said firmly, and Remus came to stand at his side, so the creative twins were blocking the view of Envy from Honesty. "Having a conscience doesn't make him pathetic. I believe that in laughing at him for crying over somebody you MURDERED makes you even more sick and twisted." (Then myself). The words seemed to hang there as if Roman had actually said them.

Was it fair for a rapist and abuser to give a scolding to a murderer? Remus didn't think so. But as he stood there beside this man he so loathed, his twin, he could see the passion in his eyes; the genuine dedication. Roman wanted to be a knight, a prince bound by chivalry again. He was trying to be better, and Remus couldn't hate him for making an effort.

It would be a long time coming, but maybe, things could get better between them.

Maybe.


	47. Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! Okay, I have a lot more to say at the end, so make sure to read the notes!
> 
> Warning: mentions of past sexual abuse

Janus put the 5th bag of popcorn into the microwave as he listened to Patton rant about how cute he thought Logan was while he added the toppings to a giant plate of nachos. It was to be a movie night, the first one since... jeez before any of this had gone down. All of the sins would be there, and, to his dismay, so would Roman.

Thomas had helped work out an agreement between them. Apathy could have one day each week with Roman, as on as it was supervised. Of course, it was usually Nero or Logan, really any of the sides were willing- meaning that Janus never had to spend any time with Roman. But a movie night? A time when they would all be spending a few hours within a few years of each other? Janus felt sick at the concept.

Of course, he had been asked plenty of times whether or not he was comfortable. He had lied, assuring them it was fine.

But it really wasn't.

He didn't want to be anywhere near Roman. Whenever Roman was in the room with him, he felt exposed- Roman had seen parts of him he had never wanted him to see, and had violated and destroyed Janus's trust. It made him so panicky- as if there was some horrible secret between the two, some gross game. If he let his mind wander, he could still feel Roman's hands, ghosting along his skin and scales...

"Kiddo?" Patton asked, and Janus jumped when he realized Patton's hand was on his shoulder. The microwave had finished popping the popcorn a while before, and now the father figure was standing next to him, his eyes sympathetic. "Janus, what's wrong? You kind of spaced out there, I was worried."

"O-oh," Janus said, forcing a smile and straightening his gloves. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Patton frowned. "Jay, c'mon. I'm your friend! What's bothering you?"

Janus sighed, his stomach in knots. He looked down at his feet. "I just... it's Roman," Janus muttered, leaning against the counter. "I don't want to spend that much time in a room with him, It... it makes me sick, Pat! I know I'm being selfish, it's not fair to Apathy, and it seems like Roman is becoming a better person, but... I can't get it out of my head."

Patton put a reassuring arm around his shoulder. "You're not being selfish! Everyone would completely understand if you needed him to leave. He made bad choices, and he should be punished for them, not you."

"Patton's right," came a voice from the door. The two looked up. Roman was standing there, a frown pressed onto his face. He didn't walk closer- it was clear that Janus wouldn't have been able to handle it- and continued. "I'll leave. Dec- Janus, I never..." he paused, searching for the right words to say. "I never want to cause even a little more discomfort. I... was a monster. You deserve to be happier, and I am willing to do anything to put you more at ease."

"No, you should stay! Apathy wants to spend time with you, he already only sees you once a week, that wouldn't be fair," Janus said quickly, wincing at his own voice. This sure wasn't self-care, he thought glumly. He was probably being too selfless, but...

Patton looked a bit uncomfortable to be caught in the middle of this conversation. "Should I leave? I can go bring out the snacks-"

"No, don't leave," Roman said. (He didn't want Janus to be any more afraid of him then he would be by being left it the same room with him.)

"Yes. Patton, please, we need to have a conversation," Janus said. Patton scurried out. 

Janus crossed the room so he was standing about three feet away from Roman. He was tensed all over, but something was comforting about the look of surprise in Roman's face. Janus hopped up on the counter, sitting there and patting the spot next to him, signaling that he wanted Roman to join him.

The side obliged, a bewildered expression painted on his face. And so there they sat, on the counter, in silence. "You know," Janus said after a long time, staring at his bandaged hand in his lap, "If there was one thing that came out of this whole mess for the better, I'd say it would be Apathy."

Roman didn't know how to respond to this, so he simply nodded. Janus chuckled. "He's such a sweet boy. So curious, so intelligent. But of course, you'd know that; you lived with him for longer than I did."

"And he's got your beautiful eyes, and smile..." Roman trailed off, his face going red as Janus shifted a little uncomfortably. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound flirtatious-"

Janus waved him off. "It's fine, Roman. You can give a compliment without being flirtatious, but I appreciate your concern. You've changed a lot."

Roman gave a half-hearted shrug. "I think it was being in Apathy's room. You know, after Nero beat me to a pulp. You know how Virgil's room makes you more anxious? Apathy's room..." 

"Made you more apathetic?" Janus offered.

"No, quite the reverse. I realized... I've been apathetic. I always wanted to be a hero, but I realized... I was just this Hans Of The Southern Isles all along."

Janus laughed. "I don't think you're the Hans here. More like... the Duke of Weselton. You were afraid of watching your brother 'surpass you' in quality of life, so you acted out. Hell, if anything, Honesty can be Hans. He was the one who pretended to be all nice to Apathy and then tried to straight-up murder him."

The two laughed- not at the prospect of their son being murdered, but at the Disney references. Even after everything that had happened between them, this casual normalcy was refreshing, "God, I sound like Emile."

"There are worse things," Roman said, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes.

Janus got off the counter, turning to face Roman. Roman jumped down too. "Look, Roman. It's not that I'm afraid of you. I know you are a good Prince deep down. But I need time, alright? A lot of time."

Roman nodded quickly. Janus seemed to lose some of the tension in his shoulders, but he still looked to be very on edge. "I have no intention of rushing you. I'll tell Apathy I've got to go, then I'll get Virgil or someone to take me back to my castle."

He turned to leave and nearly jumped out of his skin when Janus grabbed his arm. "No! Roman, I want you to stay."

The words hung heavy in the air. Janus quickly let go of Roman, instead choosing to fiddle with the hem of his capelet. Roman turned back. "Really? Why?"

Janus took a long, drawn-out sigh. "I want to give you a chance to be a good person. To be a good parent. I think it'll help things be better."

Roman smiled softly, nodding. "I'll leave at any point if you need me to, okay? Just tell me."

"Of course."

The two sunk into the real world, where everyone was getting seated. Patton visibly relaxed when he saw them enter the room, both of them looking relatively happy. It was incredibly crowded, what with the 14 sides of Thomas and Thomas himself, who looked a bit overwhelmed to have this many versions of himself with him at once, but clearly enjoying himself.

"Janus! We saved you a spot!" Called Apathy, who was sprawled across Remus's lap. Somebody had made Apathy a pink lion onesie that was just too CUTE, and he was giggling as Remus tickled him. Janus surveyed the seating arrangement as he went over to his husband and son.

Gluttony, Greed, Logan, and Patton all sat on the floor. Patton was cuddling Logan, who looked a bit rosy checked at the gesture, but it was clear he was enjoying it. Emile and Remy were practically sitting on each other, tangled up adorably. Thomas sat between them and Envy, who looked a bit nervous, but maybe that was because he was sitting right in front of Virgil- who was perched like a cat on the backrest of the couch. Then there was Remus and Apathy, and after the two of them, Nero, who had hoarded a bowl of Rice Krispies squares in front of them specifically to keep them away from Gluttony. Lust lounged in a 'paint me like one of your french girls' sort of way across the top of the couch next to Virgil, where he seemed dead set on playing with Nero's hair, despite the wrathful side swatting his hands away repeatedly.

Roman crammed himself in next to Gluttony and smiled. This was all so... domestic. He had missed this. The Disney film Moana began- dulling out the sound of Apathy complaining that Patton's cookies were too sweet, or of Nero threatening to kill Lust for messing with his hair, or that Thomas was wondering allowed just how weird this all was. But hey, for the first time, Roman didn't feel jealous of his brother's family. 

Now, he seemed to have his own, or at least, he might someday.

All seemed to be well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo-hoo! That's the end of this lovely fic! Jeeze, I've spent so long with this story and character arcs- well, I guess not 'so long' but this is the longest fic I've ever done, so yay! Shoutout to my dear fellow writer and all you lovely readers for sticking this out!
> 
> In other news, this is going to be a series! I already have a new plotline mapped out and all that jazz, so expect the first chapter of the next fic in this series within the next 5 or so days.
> 
> thanks again! And remember, if you ever need me to tag something, I'm more than happy to, so just let me know! (:
> 
> Stay safe and content!


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